Dublin Showers
by xLou26
Summary: Vivian foolishly expected sunshine during her visit to Dublin, instead she gets caught in a torrential downpour in the middle of July. Thankfully a handsome stranger is right around the corner to brighten up her day and maybe heat things up. Sheamus/OC
1. Showers

_**Dublin Showers**_

_Part 1_

When Vivian had turned on the TV that morning, the chipper weatherman had declared it a bright and sunny day. Foolishly she had listened to him. She'd left the hotel with a spring in her step, excited that with her one day free from business meetings, she'd be able to explore Dublin a little bit better. More than what she could in the back seat of a taxi that was for sure.

However one of her colleagues had persuaded her to go along to the Guinness Storehouse and after she had been dragged around the attraction, being given detailed accounts of the beers 250 year reign as the best in the world, she'd been forced to drink a pint of the stuff. It hadn't been bad, but it had only been one in the afternoon. How people managed even a small glass of alcohol with their lunch, she'd never know. And she didn't want to ask her colleagues who would often treat themselves during their Friday lunch outing. To them it seemed only fair with all the stress they'd put up with during the week.

So instead of strolling around Dublin Castle like she had wanted to, Vivian was storming up the streets of the city centre. The clouds above were rolling in, thick and grey. The pending rainfall made Vivian walk as quick as she could. The hotel was at least ten minutes away; surely she would make it in time.

A cold blob of rain landed on her nose, making her jump slightly. She wiped it away with the tip of her finger and tipped her head back a little. The sky had darkened – maybe it was a going to storm. Damn that weatherman. She'd worn a white cotton sundress and the see-through look the rain would create would rob her of all her modesty. Gaze darting back to the uneven pavement, Vivian almost jogged her way up the street, trying desperately to remember her way to the hotel.

Just as she turned the corner of the street, thunder rumbled and no longer could she dodge the raindrops. There was nothing she could do to shield herself from the torrential downpour. Her skin was instantly soaked and she could already feel the rain soaking into her dress. Thankfully she had worn wedges instead of heels, the risk of losing her footing still hung on her mind though. The sky lit up for a split second and again thunder rumbled through the air.

After splashing through a puddle and visibly shaking from the cold, Vivian couldn't go any further. A few buildings down she saw what looked to be the outside of a pub. One quick glance at the fixture above the doorway didn't do anything to appease her dwindling mood. _Bruxelles - _it seemed like a normal place, however as she walked through the door, she was bathed in an eerie darkness. The small windows seemed to let in little light, even less now given the dark storm clouds outside.

Heading straight towards the side of the bar, Vivian didn't pay attention to anyone who may have been in there. She also didn't pay attention to what a state she must have looked, though she did briefly run her fingers through her now wet hair. The once light brown poker straight locks were starting to go a little wavy - something it did naturally.

The place wasn't that warm and a shiver coursed through her body again. Her toes scrunched up in her soggy shoes. Oh how she needed to get back to the hotel and sink into a hot bubbly bath. Maybe she would even head to the spa and work out the kinks in her feet, the shoes she thought were practical were starting to rub.

Shoulders straight, chin out, Vivian headed straight towards the bar. If she was in here she might as well make an attempt to dry off and warm up; a coffee would do just that. Arriving next to the polished wooden bar, Vivian placed her bag down and eyed one of the worn leather stools then decided to stand. Maybe she'd find a quiet table and rest her feet until the sun came back. She scoffed at that thought – the sun was never coming back out.

"Raining, is it?"

Turning her head to the side, mouth slightly agape in annoyance Vivian tried her best not scowl as she said, "No, I always walk around looking like this." She gestured to herself which made the man run his gaze up and down her body, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile as he did.

It took a moment before Vivian really acknowledged the man and then remembered that her dress would probably be a little bit see-through. Casually she tried to cover her chest by crossing her arms, but the man had seen her now. She hated that the weather had made her flustered – she wasn't one for unkempt behaviour. Her eyes locked with his, stunning grey orbs framed by the lightest coloured lashes. That's when she noticed the intense paleness of his skin and the stark red colour of his facial hair. How she'd missed him she wasn't quite sure.

Finally taking in his size, Vivian asked the first thing that sprung to mind, "Are you a bouncer here?"

"Used t' be." The man answered in a strong Irish accent, but not the thickest she'd heard during her stay in the city, and then shrugged his big shoulders. His fingers drummed along on the bar counter top, in time to the rock music coming from the far side of the bar.

"What do you do now then?" Feeling like she'd overstepped a boundary, Vivian was about to apologise for being so forward but she got an answer before she could.

"Ah'm in the entertainment business."

With such a calmness to his tone, Vivian had to wonder what he did do. He'd gotten her very intrigued. "Oh," Vivian paused to think before narrowing her eyes, "Like a stripper?"

A hearty laugh came from him as he shook his head and said, "Ah'm flattered, lass."

Flattered? She didn't think anyone would be flattered if she called them a stripper. She knew he had a good body. The biceps straining again the black cotton t-shirt had gained her attention in no time.  
"Going to tell me what you really do?"

"Ah'm a wrestler."

Well, that would explain the buff body. She eyed him over one more time. "That must be..." She searched for the right words as he eyed her suspiciously, "...fun."

"What abou' yehself? What brings yeh from America t' Dublin?"

"I'm a lawyer," Vivian waited for a response but he man simply stared back at her, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Stephen." He stopped drumming his fingers to the music long enough to hold his hand out to her.

"Vivian." She smiled as she gently placed her hand into his and gave it a light squeeze.

"Wow, yeh cold." Stephen held onto her hand for a moment longer, his thumb brushing over her damp cold skin. In a split second she was heated from top to toe, maybe she didn't need that coffee after all.

"Yeah I was going to get a coffee, maybe." Gently she freed her hand from Stephens and perched on the edge of the bar stool. Glancing down the long stretched out bar, she noted there was no one around. Maybe they didn't expect many punters at this time of the day. Running her hands up and down her arms, Vivian shivered as her body tried to warm up.

"Ah guess yeh no used t' this weather." Stephen chuckled and stood up from his stool, making Vivian tilt her head back to look up at him. She didn't quite realise how big he was until he stood at his full height.

Watching him walk away from her, her gaze travelled down the length of his body. Curiosity washed over her as he stopped by a coat stand by the front entrance she had just come through. He grabbed onto a thick looking black zip up hoodie, and with his long legs he was back in front of her in a few strides.

"Put this on, yeh'll warm up in no time." Stephen handed it to her but Vivian shook her head.

"No, no. You don't have to do that…" Even as the words left Vivian's mouth, Stephen had the hoodie draped over her shoulders. His thumbs brushed over her collar bone when he made sure the clothing was covering her bare arms and shoulders. That wasn't hard though; the sweatshirt was huge and engulfed her. Immediately she felt warmer, and with Stephen standing so close she felt her cheeks flush with heat.

"Are all the men in Dublin this generous?" Vivian joked and found herself smiling despite the afternoon she'd had.

"No, jus' me. Ah wouldn't trust any other fella."

As Stephen smiled back Vivian said, "Thank you."

* * *

**A/N – This is one of the requests from the bitcheslovewrestling tumblr I co-own. A 500 word story written for Josie (shakeitsalome) that got out of hand XD oops. Lou x  
**


	2. Hometown

_Part 2_

Stephen watched Vivian as she sipped slowly on the mug of coffee in her hands. Once again she looked up at him, her brown eyes big, alert and framed by long black lashes. Since he'd ordered her a coffee and made her wear his sweatshirt, she'd become more quiet.

Finally tearing his gaze from Vivian he looked around the bar and felt nothing but nostalgia and pride. He'd worked here night after night, earning up enough cash to pay for flights and tanks full of petrol just to pursue his dream. He'd also encountered plenty of women during his travels, only some of whom took his fancy. Being a picky guy, he didn't have time to mess around. He wasn't stupid and he certainly wouldn't risk everything he'd worked for.

Though his logic hadn't been flawed for the first few years after his success, here he now sat alone during his precious time off. Spare time that he should have been spending with family and loved ones. No - instead he was sat alone mulling over everything he'd accomplished. Everything in his career that was.

Casting his gaze towards the small windows, he noticed the rainfall was steady but not as strong as it had been. Before long the sun would be out, shining over Dublin until the next string of grey clouds passed over. It was a regular occurrence, which surprisingly he had come to miss. Not that he didn't like the sun, sea and sand that Tampa had to offer.

"Something on your mind?" Snapped out of his daydream, Stephen eyes the sweatshirt that was being held out to him. Vivian was smiling, expectantly waiting for some kind of reaction.

Shaking his head and gently pushing her hand away from him Stephen said, "Keep it."

"Don't be silly." Vivian laughed but didn't try to give the sweatshirt back, "you'll get cold."

"And yeh going to walk back to yeh hotel in a see-through dress?" Stephen asked, keeping his eyes locked with hers not taking in the sight of her skin visible through parts of the dress.

"Well-"

"How far away yeh staying?" Stephen cut her off but quickly followed his words with a big smile. She made him smile so it seemed, he also wanted to find out more about her.

Her hands were wrapped around the mug again, lips gently blowing onto the coffee before taking another sip and sweatshirt laying across her lap. "The hotel's a few blocks down."

"Ah'll walk yeh back." He'd said it before he really had time to think about it. Usually he wouldn't come on so strong, especially when he'd only known her thirty minutes. Perhaps he had just taken pity. In fact he knew that was it, along with the fact she had the lightest hazel coloured eyes that seemed to have some kind of hypnotic effect over him. Of course he couldn't forget her stunning body that he'd had the opportunity to appreciate thanks to the untimely downpour of rain.

"You really don't have to, I'll be just fine."

"Ah don' doubt that, but yeh'll catch yeh death going ou' like that." Standing up from the stool, Stephen took his sweatshirt back and once again placed it over her shoulders. He wanted to protect her modesty especially knowing she'd be eyed up by any hot blooded male she'd encounter.

"Finish yeh drink, it's stopped raining." Vivian set down her empty mug and spun around on the seat to look out of the window, just about making out that the rain had stopped.

"At least let me pay you back for the coffee." Finally she stood from the stool, the top of her head only just past his shoulder. Glancing up at him she pulled the sweatshirt tighter around her shoulders.

"Ah'm having none of it." Shaking his head, Stephen waved goodbye to the bartender and started walking to the door in the hope that she would follow. She did and soon enough she'd followed him out of the bar and into the dreary, wet streets of Dublin.

"You're stubborn." Vivian said to which Stephen glanced over his shoulder. She had one hand gripped tightly on the top of the sweatshirt. The other was clinging onto her handbag as she tried to keep up with his quick pace.

"So ah've been told." Only by a few colleagues and his parents, but it was true and she'd picked up on it pretty quick.

"What's your other name?"

"Other name?" Stephen slowed down so she didn't have to almost run, but eventually they stopped by a busy road.

"You're a wrestler? Don't you have some fancy alter ego?"

"Yeh going to look me up later?" He wouldn't be surprised.

"Maybe."

With a slight laugh Stephen said, "If yeh wanted to see me in less clothes, all yeh had to do was ask."

"I err…" Stephen watched blush creep to her cheeks and her eyes look anywhere but at him. He didn't mean to embarrass her but he couldn't help but tease.

As if she wanted to get away from him, she almost stepped forward but Stephen grabbed onto her arm before she had a chance to step onto the road just as a taxi whizzed by. "Whoa lass. Watch yehself."

"You distracted me."

Running his hand down her arm, Stephen took her hand in his with a firm grasp. Checking to make sure the road was clear, he finally stepped forward, dodging the puddles that had formed during the rainfall. He let go of her hand as soon as they'd made it across the road safely.

"Sheamus is me ring name." He watched her digest that information and probably store it in the back of her mind.

She chewed her lip for a moment looking deep in thought before asking, "Do you live in Dublin?"

"Born and raised, but ah live in Tampa now."

"Tampa? As in Florida?" Vivian almost stopped in her tracks but once again Stephen took her hand and continued down the road. The skies were looking grey again and the last thing he wanted was for both of them to end up soaking wet.

"Got it in one." Vivian didn't respond. Instead she pointed across the road to a hotel overlooking St. Stephens park. He was familiar with O'Callaghan's hotel, though he hadn't personally stayed there. As if they'd know each other years, he held onto her hand and guided her across the road; partly in fear that she'd cross without looking and be hit by a rogue taxi.

"Finally, I thought it was going to rain again." Vivian breathed a sigh as they crossed the threshold into the lobby of the hotel. She pulled her hand free from his strong but gentle grip. Stephen slowly looked around the lobby, taking in the features he had become accustomed to during his many years of traveling around the world. Hotels started looking the same after you'd stayed in hundreds of them.

Silence seemed to loom over them for the briefest of moments. _Take a risk._"What yeh doing tonight?" Stephen asked with a little more vigour than he intended to, but hoped she didn't sense his eagerness. The last thing he wanted to do was make her run, but he'd gotten this far with no qualms.

"Oh." She seemed flustered and a little on edge after his question.

Bracing himself for rejection Stephen tried to change his tone to make himself appear a little less forward. Shoving his hands into his pockets and taking a nonchalant stance he said, "Bruxelles is a lot more lively at night. Ah'll be there if yeh want to have a drink."

"You're really inviting me out?" Her nervous laugh baffled him, but he continued none the less.

"Ah am lass, unless yeh have something more fun planned." Crossing his arms over his chest, he wondered what else she could be doing. Unless of course he'd come on too strong and she didn't want anything to do with him.

"You're right, I don't." Of course he was, and a smile graced his face as he felt satisfied with her response. "But I'd like to get a shower and maybe make myself look a little bit more presentable."

"That's no problem." Stephen finally accepted his sweatshirt she was now holding out to him but Vivian's eyes were looking anywhere but back at his.

"Then I'll see you in Bruxelles at..." She carefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and finally met his gaze.

"Eight, ah'll meet yeh right here."

"You don't have to come and get me, I promise I'll turn up."

"Ah won't have a beautiful woman walking the streets of Dublin alone at night."

"You think I'm beautiful?" Her stunned eyes locked with his for a moment - he'd be damned if she'd never been called beautiful before.

Stephen watched, delighted, as a small smile eventually crept to her lips. He grinned but didn't answer. He'd let her know how he felt later when he was looking forward to getting to know her a lot better. "Ah'll see yeh later."

"Wait!" Before he even had a chance to take a step towards the doors, she was next to him reaching out and lightly squeezing his forearm. "Thank you for buying me that coffee and for letting me borrow your sweatshirt."

"My pleasure." Seizing his moment, Stephen leant down and brushed a lingering kiss on her cheek. He could feel her surprise as her shoulders tensed but her hand gripped tighter onto his arm. "Slán agat." Bidding her a goodbye, he left her for now. His evening was looking far more interesting than he'd first expected.

* * *

**A/N – Thank you SandraSmit19, Anonymous x2 (was one of them you, Josie? o_o), ZizFox, Blackhat, xFindTheEnigmaWithinx, boston246, prettybaby69 and Nisi85 for the lovely reviews. As you might have guessed, this is no longer a two-shot :P. Lou x**


	3. Waiting

_**Waiting**_

"Another martini, please." Vivian slid her empty glass across the bar counter to the handsome young bartender on the other side. Absently she chewed on the cocktail stick that previously skewered an olive.

"Coming right up."

Looking around the bar, Vivian thought her surroundings would be different that evening. She wasn't in a dark pub with heavy metal rockers. No, quite the opposite. She was in the quaint hotel bar feeling embarrassed, stupid and on her fourth martini. No longer would she trust her gut instinct. She would listen to her head because obviously taking risks wasn't working for her.

"There you go." The bar tender had quickly served her another drink. Without hesitating, she snatched it away and took a big gulp.

"Mmm...thank you very much." Vivian grinned and spun around on the bar stool. Maybe it was the alcohol taking effect, but she was starting to feel less sorry for herself. Slowly she scanned the bar, mentally making note of the few people that were spending the evening just like she was.

Another drink would very much tip her over the edge, so using her head, Vivian decided this drink would be her last. The last think she needed in the morning is a pity hangover. Dropping the old cocktail stick on the counter behind her, Vivian took the new cocktail stick from the glass and plucked the olive off the end with her teeth. She'd worn her best black skinny jeans and red peplum top - they hugged her curves and she wasn't going to deny that it was for Stephens benefit. The man was attractive as hell, why not put a little effort in. Too bad her efforts were for nothing.

With a heavy sigh, Vivian sipped on the rest of her martini as quick as she could. Feeling alone and pretty pathetic, she decided enough was enough. Setting the empty glass down, she slid off the stool landing on her heels with a wobble. Regaining her balance she sauntered away from the bar - as elegantly as she could - and made her way across the lobby.

Casting a wistful glance towards the entrance doors before she made her exit Vivian's heart leapt to her throat in surprise. There was no way that was Stephen walking through the doors towards her. Shaking her head in disbelief, Vivian turned around. Dizziness swept over her, leaving her unable to move forward for a moment. Her eyes slipped shut and after a deep breath they opened again leaving her able to walk in a straight line.

"Vivian." Feeling Stephens hand on her wrist, Vivian stopped walking away. When she turned around she realised she hadn't gotten away as fast as she thought she had. She'd blame her heels and her inability to walk in a straight line.

"Well, well, well." Vivian shoved her finger into Stephens chest and narrowed her eyes. "You're late."

"And yeh're drunk."

"I am not!" Maybe a little, but not enough to cloud her judgment. He had stood her up and that was all that mattered, never mind him being there now.

"Ah'm sorry ah'm late."

"You were supposed to be here two hours ago." Vivian emphasised her words by holding two fingers up. "I hope you had a lovely evening."

"Me sisters car broke down, she called me. Ah couldn't jus' leave her." Vivian narrowed her eyes and scanned over Stephens attire, spots of oil dotted his shirt, his hands clearly had oil scrubbed off them. Maybe he was telling the truth. "Ah didn't have yeh number, otherwise ah would have called."

"Okay." Vivian nodded and bit her lip. She felt dizzy, the alcohol having a worse effect the longer she stood upright.

"How much yeh had to drink?" Stephen gently touched her jaw with the tip of his fingers. Vivian gasped and stumbled backwards, the touch sending a bolt of lust through her body. She'd never had such reactions to a man before, not from a simple touch like that. With lightning fast reflexes, Stephen had both of his arms around her waist saving her from hitting the floor.

She heard him mumble something in Irish - probably cursing her ridiculous behaviour. "I'm just a little tipsy."

"Let's get yeh to yer room." Vivian clung onto Stephen as if she couldn't hold her own weight. But Stephen was particularly lovely to have her hands on. She'd never felt such strong arms before.

"I can go by myself." Vivian nodded to herself, but in the back of her mind she knew she didn't want to leave on her own.

"Yeh think yeh can make it?" Stephen didn't even wait for her to answer, he held her close and walked her over to the elevator which opened instantly when he pressed the up button, "What floor are yeh on?"

"Five." Vivian reached out to press the number 5 button, also pressing 4 and 6 as she swayed a little bit. "Do you always spend your evenings rescuing women in distress?"

"Not all." Stephen smiled down at her, chipping away at her resolve even more. "Just some evenings."

Leaning forward, Vivian tentatively pushed her lips against Stephens. She was testing the water, seeing how he would react. When his hand clasped the back of her neck and he deepened the kiss, Vivian felt her whole body shudder with excitement. He felt good against her. Strong, solid, all man. After what seemed like only a split second, Stephen pulled away and Vivian struggled for words, anything coherent to let him know how interested she was had long gone. Her gaze dipped to his mouth as his tongue darted out to lick his lips. Her head wasn't controlling things, the alcohol was. Vivian pressed her finger to Stephens chin as she seductively slurred the words, "I like your beard."

Stephen only laughed and Vivian knew she was a goner. "This is yer floor." Vivian hadn't noticed that they'd already stopped at the fourth floor and were not at the fifth. Stephen had a hand on her back, ushering her out onto the corridor.

"My key is in my pocket." Reaching for her back pocket, Vivian pulled out the flat key card which Stephen quickly took.

He wrapped his hand around hers and gestured in front of him before he said, "Lead the way, lass."

Tightly holding onto Stephens hand, Vivian walked the short distance to her room. She couldn't help but glance down at Stephens hand holding her own, amazed at how small she looked in comparison.

"This is my room" Looking up to the door number Vivian bit her lip, trying to shut herself up but one question lingered in her mind. "Can I kiss you again?"

"When yer sober." Stephen reached out and ran his thumb across her jaw line. She didn't jump back this time but she did feel tingles all over her body. "Ah don't want yeh to think ah'm taking advantage of yeh in this state."

"But-"

"Get some rest." Stephen put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small bit of paper. "Ah was going to leave this for yeh at reception."

Taking the small bit of folded paper, Vivian couldn't think of anything to say. Stephen sent her a smile and waved goodbye - leaving her with mixed emotions. He'd stood her up but had come to apologise, there was no way she could be angry about that. Once Stephen was out of sight, Vivian unfolded the bit of paper carefully reading what was written in black ink - an apology and a phone number. She was thanking her lucky stars that Stephen was an honourable man and a hot one at that. Come to think of it, lucky was an understatement.

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**A/N – Thank you prettybaby69, shakeitsalome, Carolina Kel, ThatGirl54, boston246, xFindTheEnigmaWithinx, wolviegurl, Nisi85 and ZizFox for the awesome reviews! Once again you are all pretty fabulous! Lou x**


	4. Grounded

_**Grounded**_

Stephen ran the short distance from his dad's car to the cover of Dublin airport. It had been raining for two days and now the strength of the gales were starting to get worse as each hour passed. He knew some flights were cancelled, but he was praying his wouldn't be affected.

Another flight and another journey to get to work. He had to admit he'd enjoyed his little vacation back home, even if it was for only five days. Now all he wanted to do was get to Connecticut for smackdown so he could then get back to Tampa. Before he got swept into the people rushing in and out of the airport, he waved back to his dad who had begun slowly driving off.

Brushing the drops of rain off his face, Stephen took a look around the airport and adjusted the baseball cap on his head. No doubt he'd get recognised sooner or later - just one of the perks of his job. With his suitcase rolling behind him, he headed over to check the departures board. Cancelled or delayed. Every single damn flight.

His flight to New York was delayed by two hours, meaning he would already miss his connecting flight. Just his luck. The thought of staying back in Ireland for even just a day longer was appealing - but he still had a job to do. A job he had worked all his life for and he needed to get back to America as soon as possible. Feeling like he was facing the impossible, he pulled out his phone from his pocket to send a text to his PA back in the US.

Before he could even begin to type, he spotted one message in his inbox. One message he had received but failed to reply to. Knowing he should have replied played with his mind but he was at a loss at what to say to her. He only had so much time to spend with his family; with Vivian they'd never see each other again. Maybe while he had some time to spare waiting for a flight out he could think of something suitable to say to her.

Quickly he typed a message out to his PA, letting her know he didn't have a clue when he'd be back. That was all he knew at the moment, but he wouldn't be surprised if she called him back demanding he do everything he could to get on a flight.

Eying a coffee shop out of the corner of his eye, he shoved his phone back into his pocket and set off towards the cafe keeping his head low. A few tables were scattered outside the shop, which surprisingly wasn't that busy given the number of people waiting to fly and the thoroughly horrendous weather.

A woman sat on her own caught his attention - nothing out of the ordinary, but a strange feeling came over him. Familiarity. He moved a little closer and he didn't have to see her face to know it was her. She was huddled into a thick cardigan, skinny jeans and boots. Not your usual attire for June, but with this freak weather she blended in with all the other passengers. Not to him though, no, she stuck out like a sore thumb.

Literally pushed out of his daydream, Stephen stumbled back. He frowned, unable to comprehend his sudden lack of concentration. Letting some guy - one-hundred pounds lighter than him - almost push him over.

"Watch it, buddy." The man nearly spilt his coffee and sent Stephen a sneering glance as a thank you.

The woman turned around, along with a few other people and Stephen felt his heart plummet to his feet. He felt guilt and lust all mingled together. He didn't like to be taken by surprise, but boy that caught him off guard. Vivian continued to look up at him, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes behind her ear. Her full lips curved into an inviting smile and for a split second he remembered what they felt like against his own. Then he remembered how drunk she had been at the time.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Vivian said, "Is this fate, or coincidence?"

Stephen mulled his answer over for a second. Vivian looked hopeful - and beautiful - as she waited on baited breath. "Ah don' believe in coincidences."

"So you believe in fate?"

In no mood to get all philosophical, Stephen decided to change the subject. "Yeh here alone?"

"My colleagues headed for the bar, I'd rather stick to a coffee at this time of day." Vivian glanced down at the paper coffee cup on the table before looking back at him.

Unable to bite his tongue Stephen said, "Right, yeh only do yeh intense drinking at night."

"When I've been stood up."

Stephen laughed but decided to take the opportunity given to him. "Yeh mind if ah join yeh? Ah don' think ah'll be out of here any time soon."

"Sure."

After grabbing a cup of plain black coffee for himself, Stephen didn't hesitate to take a seat opposite Vivian. "Where yeh flying back to?"

"Boston." Vivian wrapped one hand around the coffee cup and by the tone in her voice she wasn't too interested in small talk. "I want to apologise to you. What happened at the hotel was out of line, I shouldn't have kissed you."

"Shouldn't have or didn't want to?" Stephen raised an eyebrow. He didn't have a clue why the hell he'd asked. Maybe part of him wanted to make sure she was interested – like her behaviour at the hotel wasn't enough, but then again she was under the influence of alcohol.

Cheeks flushing a rosy pink colour, an embarrassed Vivian mumbled, "Shouldn't have."

That answer made Stephen smile. "Good to know."

"Really? And why's that?" Vivian's head tilted slightly to the right in curiosity. Her eyes were locked on his, patiently waiting for an answer.

"If ah kiss yeh, then ah know yeh won't mind." Stephen grinned, taking Vivian off guard. He liked that he could do that to her, plus the look on her face priceless; stunned and intrigued would sum it up nicely. The stunned look quickly faded, soon replaced by confusion. Then it hit him, he'd ignored her message. Wondering where to start, he reached across the table to lay his hand over hers. She didn't jump, but her hand was surprisingly cold.

"Now it's my turn to apologise. Ah never got around to replying to yeh're message."

Vivian shook her head, pulling her hand from under his in one swift movement. "You don't have to apologise, really. I wouldn't have replied either after my behaviour."

"Yeh're behaviour was fine. Trust me, ah've dealt with worse." Stephen said the words before he could register just how that sounded. He was just used to dealing with women who thought they had the right to have their hands on him if they got within a foot of him. At first the attention was nice, flattering even, but sometimes the over the top behaviour rubbed him the wrong way. With Vivian it was easy, flirting and getting her to laugh. He was actually enjoying himself without even realising it.

"Then what is it?" Vivian picked up her coffee and took a sip.

What was it? He didn't have an answer – not one that wound sound plausible anyway. He liked her and she liked him; it was pretty easy when he thought about it like that. The only thing stopping him was their two lives which were so incredibly different. It was always in the back of his mind whenever he'd dated because at the end of his day his job came first. Maybe that was selfish of him but his job was a once in a lifetime kind of thing and he hadn't found a woman that held the same title.

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**A/N – Thank you shakeitsalome, charmedbyortonbarrett, ThatGirl54, boston246, Kinnetikx2, Blackhat, xFindTheEnigmaWithinx, Reddream72, Chaos2279, xthefirestillburns and prettybaby69 for the fab reviews. The response to this story has been amazing and I really hope you keep reading :) Lou x**


	5. Satisfaction

_**Satisfaction**_

Vivian didn't think she could be any more curious about Stephen, but she was. She'd seen about every person possible in her job, from self-made millionaires to the lowest scum walking the planet. They were easy to read in a court, a skill she was good at but still needed brushing up on. She couldn't read Stephen today.

Feeling a little bit rejected, Vivian gave the coffee cup in her hand all of her attention as she said, "You don't have to explain yourself."

"Ah don' get to come home often and ah travel five days a week with the WWE." Stephen smiled as he continued his explanation, "Ah was looking forward to spending some time wit' yeh at the bar."

"Me too. That's a lot of traveling though, must be hard to keep a normal life."

"Depends what yeh think normal is."

"I guess you're right about that." Vivian put her drink down without taking her eyes off Stephen, "What do your family think of what you do?"

"They're proud."

Wow. Vivian was having a hard time getting anything out of Stephen. Sensing his reluctance to disclose any more of his life she took a quick peek up at the departures board. Nothing had changed and outside the gales were blowing the rain hard against the windows.

"I don't think there's another flight to Boston until tomorrow - if it's any better then." Vivian stood up from the table as she saw her three colleagues meandering over from the bar. "We're checking into a hotel just across the road. It was nice meeting you though Stephen."

"Vivian-"

"Good luck with the wrestling, I'll give it a watch some time." Unable to take any more, Vivian gave him a heartfelt smile before taking hold of her suitcase. "Have a safe flight whenever you manage to get out of here and don't forget you have my number if you ever need to talk."

Walking away from Stephen was hard, especially knowing in the back of her mind she'd never see him again. She greeted her colleagues with a small smile, not at all wanting to go back out into the downpour, but it was the only way they would get to the hotel.

Bombarded with questions from her very nosy colleagues about the mystery man, she dismissed him as 'no one'. It wasn't important. It wasn't like they would see each other again now - but he was a nice addition to the business trip. After a quick dash to the hotel closest to the airport, Vivian was finally on her own, she was glad to be in a warm room - though she would rather be on a plane back home. This would do for now.

Leaving her suitcase by the small fixed wardrobe, she pulled off her boots and socks, curing her toes into the plush warm carpet. Rain was battering against the window and the weather was doing its best to get her down. She set her handbag down onto the floor and looked around the room. Her plan was to go to the hotel restaurant, grab a quick bite to eat and then take a soothing bubble bath. Just as she was about to raid her suitcase to get into some dry and warmclothes her phone rang. She assumed it would be one of her colleagues inviting her to the bar; unlike her, they'd taken a strong liking to the guinness.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Vivian stared at it utterly surprised at the name flashing on the screen. Did he really need to talk that bad right now, especially after he'd hardly said anything in the airport? Not sure what to expect Vivian was quiet as she answered. "Hey."

"Yeh're at the hilton right?" Stephens thick brogue floated down the phone and Vivian forgot to say anything back for a moment.

"Erm yeah, why?"

"Yeh got a room to yehself?"

Getting curious, Vivian paced the room as she asked, "Stephen what's going on?"

"Answer me."

"Yeah, I do."

"What's yeh room number?" Vivian was in stunned silence. What the hell was he doing? "Don' make me knock on every door to find yeh."

"301. Stephen would you please just tell me what's going on?" With a frustrated sigh, Vivian sat down on the edge of the bed. Stephen had suddenly gone quiet again.

A sharp knock on the door made her bolt upright. Her body shivered, and deep down she knew Stephen was behind the door. Stephens deep breaths could be heard down the phone as he said, "Do yeh still want to kiss me?"

Vivian hung up the phone and dropped it onto the bedside table. With each step she took towards the door, her heart beat intensified. Her hand gripped onto the cool door handle and for a second she did nothing but try to keep herself focused. In her head she counted to three - sure that she was dreaming - before she pulled the door open.

"Stephen-" Vivian was silenced with Stephens lips on hers as soon as she opened the door. His arm slipped around her waist and lifted her up so he could back her into the room. He kicked the door shut behind him and everything after that was a cloudy haze of lust.

Vivian moaned as Stephen pushed her against the wall, frantic hands running over her body, desperate to get under her clothes. She couldn't keep up with the quickness of his actions; each move surprised her and made her gasp. Stephens phone hit the floor, along with his baseball cap.

Needing to get her hands on as much as Stephen as possible, Vivian slipped her hands under his shirt. His lips grazed her jaw, slowly ending up at her lips to steal a fierce kiss. Trailing her fingers across Stephens abdomen, she felt his muscles tense under her touch. She'd never felt such an athletic body before.

Everything intensified. Every touch sent sparks flying across her body and before she knew it, her legs were wrapped around Stephens waist. But just as quickly as everything had burst into a frantic rush, it stopped. Stephen's eyes searched hers, seeking permission to continue. His lips however continued to place small kisses on hers.

"The next move is yours." Stephen said as his hands gripped under her thighs. The power shifted and Stephen once again proved he was putting her first. Lightly her fingers trailed across the base of his neck, moving to feel the thick solid muscle of his shoulders. She still couldn't get her head around the sheer size of him. All she knew was that she wanted to see and feel more.

"Take your shirt off." The look of surprise on Stephens face made Vivian want to backtrack. "You don't have to, I just-"

Once again silenced by Stephens soft lips on hers, Vivian couldn't help but smile. Gently she was lowered down so her feet hit the floor. Stephen unzipped his sweatshirt and shook it off so it hit the floor. Vivian gripped onto the bottom of Stephens plain black shirt, slowly lifting it upwards. Her knuckles grazed his abdomen and even the faintest touch had her knees weak. It was the anticipation building up that she couldn't take.

"You're so big." Vivian mumbled under her breath as she pushed his shirt up further. Eventually Stephen took the shirt off completely and threw it behind him. She took hold of his hand and pulled him over towards the bed. "Wait here."

"Ah'm no' going anywhere." Stephen grinned, tracking Vivians every movement as she walked over to the window, pulling the curtains shut.

"I didn't think you were interested in me." Vivian turned around with all intentions of looking Stephen in the eye, but her gaze wandered over his bare chest.

"Come 'ere." Stephen held his arms open, and Vivian found herself pulled towards him. "Yeh've been on me mind a lot."

"Not in a bad way I hope."

Stephen laughed and shook his head, "Not at all." He pushed his lips against her neck before taking a quick nip at her skin. He kissed up to the shell of her ear and said, "That kiss left me wonderin' some things."

Vivian held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to ask what things but she didn't know if she could handle the answer. Breathless and needy, Vivian managed to say, "Just kiss me again."

Stephen's hands plunged into her hair and tilted her head back. His lips crashed onto hers and once again he lifted her up, this time laying her down on the bed. He broke the kiss and knelt on he's knees, gently tugging at the thick cardigan Vivian had on.

Sitting up, Vivian pulled the cardigan off to reveal a nude coloured camisole. She waited for the nerves to kick in as Stephen took his time to look over her, but they didn't. She felt comfortable and as she pulled the camisole up and over her head, she didn't for one second fret over what Stephen thought about her or whether he'd like her body.

"Come here." Vivian started pulling Stephen down onto her, kissing him as soon as he was in reach. She ran her hands up his muscled back and his chest rubbed against hers. Stephen dragged his lips to her collar bone and she shivered at the contact.

"Yeh look amazing." Stephen mumbled against her skin. He tugged at the belt looped into her jeans and quickly unbuckled it. He pulled her jeans off, his thick fingers brushing against her smooth skin as they travelled down her legs.

Vivian watched Stephens every move - mesmerised by the way his muscles bunched as he moved down her body. Her hips arched off the bed as Stephens teeth grazed over her hip bone. His hands held onto her waist and ever so slowly he slid his tongue over the skin just above the top of her lace panties. She was trying her best to stop herself from losing all control, but Stephen was making that difficult. Gently he was tugging her panties down her legs and her breath lodged in her throat.

"Stephen you don't have to-" Her legs were spread open and her words ended on a moan. Stephens mouth covered her and nothing but pleasure licked up her spine. Vivian buried her hands in Stephens hair, gripping on tightly as he teased her over and over with his tongue on her clit.

It was intense and her body burned with need. She needed more. "Stop. I can't take anymore, I need you now."

Stephen looked up, his tongue swiping across his lips. "That was jus' one of the things ah was wonderin'"

Vivians mouth hung open with shock and Stephen climbed off the bed. His shoes and socks were swiftly taken off and he began working on his jeans. Vivian crawled up the bed and sat on her knees, watching Stephen undress. Her thighs were shaky and she still had to catch her breath, but this was what she wanted.

"Hurry up." Vivan's grabbed fistfuls of the bed sheets, impatient and bordering on desperate. The more Stephen revealed of his body, the more she knew she had to get her hands on him. He was chiselled to perfection, a body that had to be admired.

Vivian watched as he eventually got rid of his black boxer briefs, leaving him in absolutely nothing. She stared, mouth agape. She couldn't help it - every inch of him was hard and finally her impatience had worn down. She hurried off the bed and into Stephens arms, showering him with kisses.

"Ah need me wallet."

"What? Why?" Vivian frowned in confusion.

Stephen smirked as he said, "Protection."

Lust had taken over Vivians body and mind. She wasn't thinking at all, just doing. She nodded and let go of him and she moved back to the bad. Her body tingled with pleasure and anticipation, and before she knew it, Stephen was on the bed sat up against the headboard. He tore into the shiny silver wrapper then rolled the condom on. Glancing up at Vivian he beckoned her over to him and she didn't hesitate to crawl her way over the bed and onto his lap.

Stephen reached behind Vivians back and unclasped her bra, pulling it off to throw it onto the floor then said, "Much better." He rolled his thumb and finger over one taut nipple, making her drop her head back then he did the same to the other.

Bracing her hands on Stephens thick shoulders and straddling his lap, Vivian sunk her teeth into her bottom lip. Stephens lips were on her neck again, kissing and making her crazy. She felt the tip of his hard length against her and as she slowly sunk onto him, her nails dug into his shoulders. She moaned and gasped, a flicker of pain coursing through her before the pleasure kicked in.

"Ah don' want to hurt yeh." Stephen grunted, his thick fingers digging into her hips.

"You won't, I promise." Vivian stared into Stephens eyes, silently urging him to continue. He thrust his hips up and pushed down gently on her thighs.

Stephen filled her completely and stole her breath. Vivian breathed out a silent wow as she began moving, her body in sync with Stephens. Her temperature rocketed and Stephen pulled her against his chest. Her soft lips touched his, masking the moans that she wasn't able to keep to herself. He was incredible. Every touch, every movement sent sparks of liquid pleasure surging through her body. Every stroke hit the spot, but he lifted and tilted her hips moving deeper.

Everything became a blur. A mind blowing blur that Vivian couldn't control. Stephen had kissed all the way to her shoulder, soft and gentle, all whilst his thrusts into her were anything but. A flurry of oh my god's rolled off her tongue as her climax drew closer. Her thighs tightened against him and her nails dragged down his biceps. Stephen growled and grunted, his big hands flat against her back as he held her shaking body against his. His movements slowed and his warm breath brushed against her shoulder. Staring at Stephen she could finally see him clearly again and a sheepish smile slipped to her lips. So many words came to her mind as once again her lips collided with Stephens, but the one that stood out was satisfied.

* * *

**A/N – Thank you ThatGirl54, Blackhat, Kinnetikx2, boston246, shakeitsalome, Carolina Kel, prettybaby69 and anon for your reviews. Eeeek you guys and all my readers are awesome :) Lou x**


	6. Whirlwind

_**Whirlwind**_

The cold water splashed over his face and spilled onto his bare chest. Glancing into the mirror above the sink, he took one deep breath. Vivian had thrown him for a loop. Just thinking about her again had him smiling like an idiot. As soon as he'd found out that he wouldn't be able to fly for at least six hours, he'd high tailed it out of there and back to Vivian. He hadn't even thought what the repercussions might be. Not once had it crossed his mind that she might not want to see him, especially when he'd been at odds with himself in the airport.

Never had he chased a woman down – he was more familiar with it the other way around. He should have taken it slow, but every fiber in his being told him to take her, have his way with her and hope she went with him. Stephen grinned – she'd gone with him alright. The image of her face as he made her come was still etched in his mind, it was a beautiful sight. Feeling himself growing hard again, he tried to shake those thoughts. He didn't know how long either of them had before the weather permitted them to fly. Quickly he dried his hands and left the bathroom.

"What yeh doing?" Stephen frowned as Vivian turned to him - she was already back in her jeans and bra.

"Putting some clothes on." Vivian smiled, her gaze landing anywhere but his face. He stood there and let her look at him, not at all caring that he was still naked. He stretched one arm above his head and scratched his chest, not taking his eyes off Vivian. He wanted a reaction from her and the blush rushing to her cheeks would suffice.

"Yeh want to get somethin' to eat?" Picking up his discarded clothes, Stephen began to dress, finally able to take his eyes off Vivian. He slipped his boxers and jeans back on and started looking for his shirt.

"Aren't you supposed to sleep with me after you've bought me dinner?" Stephen felt Vivian's small warm hand on the base of his back. He stopped everything and finally her soft lips pressed against his shoulder.

"Ah intend on doin' that, lass." A stifled moan brought a grin to his face and he turned around, "If yeh don' have any other plans."

"I think you know I have no other plans for the rest of the evening. The weather isn't that inviting today." Stephen cupped his hands around her face, studying her face for a moment. He liked the fullness of her lips, the perfect arch of her brows, the smoothness of her skin. She stared up at him, big eyes wide with wonderment. He couldn't help but lean down to kiss her inviting lips again. Gently he tugged on her bottom lip before teasing with his tongue. He leaned his head to the side to kiss her more fully, sliding his tongue into her mouth as her hands scraped up his chest, nails lightly raking his skin. His body reacted and once again he wanted her.

He had to pull away before it was too late. He wanted to use every minute he had with her to his advantage. "Ah'm going to me room to shower and change, be ready in twenty minutes?"

She nodded, her arms moving to wrap around his neck. She moved closer and he could feel her taut nipples though the lace of her bra against him. "You got a room here too?"

"Ah'm no' flying out until the morning."

"You couldn't have stayed with your family?" Stephen remained silent. She'd pointed out what he should have done, but didn't want to.

"Ah wanted yeh since ah first saw yeh in that see-through dress." Stephen put a little bit of distance between them and rubbed the thick pads of his thumbs against her nipples.

"You should have stayed when you came to my hotel." Stephen smiled as she let out a small moan at the end of her words but she pulled at his wrists and let out a sigh. He started to worry, feeling like he'd pushed her too far. Maybe he should have kept his hands to himself. "I wanted you then."

"Yeh don' want me now?" The amount of surprise in his tone was more than he expected, but he was surprised.

"So much that I don't want you to leave." Vivian ducked her head, making her hair fall over her face. He wasn't having that. He placed his finger under her chin and tilted her head up so she looked at him.

"Ah need sustenance if yeh want me to keep going, lass." Stephen smiled and something flickered behind Vivian's eyes, she licked her lips and pushed her body against his again.

"You're going to see my impatient side."

"Ah can't wait." Stephen grinned and stole a kiss. He was getting too used to her warm, curvy body moulded against him. He kissed down the side of her neck, giving in and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Yeh like that?" Stephen asked but he didn't need an answer. Gently he kissed just above her shoulder close to her neck. She nodded and sunk her fingers into his biceps. "Good, yeh can have more of that later."

Stephen planted a quick kiss on her lips before going to find his shirt. If he didn't get out of there quick he'd never leave - and he was starving.

He found his shirt, jacket, phone and hat, all discarded on the floor. He couldn't even remember them going. He could only remember Vivian. A smile once again crept to his face, liking that he was in control. It was hard meeting women, unsure whether their affection was because of his job or if it was in fact genuine.

Turning around after putting his clothes back on, he found Vivian slipping her camisole over her head, hands smoothing it down her toned stomach. He liked her. He liked that she was a woman with a career, independence, her own life. If he was to ever have a woman permanently in his life, those were just a few of the things she'd have to be. He couldn't be with someone that constantly relied on him because he knew he wouldn't be around all that often. Maybe that was a little selfish of him.

"Stephen, are you okay?" Vivian's soft voice hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Yeah ah'm fine. Twenty minutes?"

"I'll see you back here soon." Her smile was sweet and Stephen had to force his mind to stop wandering off again. Wanting and needing to get to know her better, he planned on doing that over dinner.

* * *

Stephen already knew what he was having, Dublin Coddle – a pork sausage stew with mixed vegetables. It wouldn't taste as good as his grandmas but it was perfect with the cold, wet and windy weather. "Have yeh had anything Irish whilst yeh've been here?"

"Only you and a pint of guinness." Stephen glanced up from the menu to see a wicked grin on Vivian's face.

"Then yeh'll have what ah'm having, lass." He reached across the table for his glass of water, taking a gulp to wet his dry mouth.

"Will I like it?" Stephen pointed to his chosen dish on the menu that was on the table in front of Vivian. She read the description and seemed to lick her lips at the prospect of eating it.

"Ah'm sure yeh will."

Once their food arrived, Stephen started to divulge a little bit more into his personal life – starting with his time growing up in Cabra to finally getting his shot in the WWE. Vivian listened and seemed interested, asking questions about his family and friends here and there. He had turned the conversation onto her as they finished their meal though. He'd learnt about her job in business and commercial law after graduating from Stanford Law School.

"Yeh close wit' yeh parents?"

Vivian nodded but she looked a little put back. "My mom died when I was five, so it was just me, my dad and my brother."

Stephen didn't know what to say. Sure his parents weren't married anymore, but at least he still had both of his. "Did yeh dad want you to become a lawyer?"

Vivian laughed as if he'd asked the most ludicrous question ever. "As long as I wasn't doing drugs or getting into trouble, he didn't care what I became. I guess that's why we all got on so well - it didn't matter if I dressed up as a princess or played baseball."

Stephen smiled at the thought, "Yeh actually played baseball?"

"God I hated it, but I'd do anything to spend time with my brother." Vivian seemed to smile at the thought, but it quickly vanished. "Thank you for dinner."

Stephen gave her a reassuring smile, wondering if he'd asked too much. He reached across the table to take her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Yeh welcome."

Just as he was about to suggest they head back, a thunderous bang echoed thought the building before the power shut out. People gasped, confused until they had realised what had happened. The bright lights cut off, leaving the restaurant lit by only a few emergency lights and the dim light coming through the windows. He looked outside just in time to see one of the power cables falling, brought down by a tree that had been uprooted in the storm. Vivian clutched onto his hand still, getting tighter as each second passed.

He turned to her, seeing nothing but shock on her face. "Yeh alright?"

"Yeah I just-I wasn't expecting that." She uttered as Stephen stood up and pulled her up from her chair. His arm instinctively wrapped around her waist and he held her close to him. "It's bad out there."

"Looks like it's only getting worse." Stephen saw another tree that had fallen in the hotel grounds, a huge branch snapped off and shattered into pieces on the grass. They'd have to take the stairs to back up to the room. Staff and customers were milling around, obviously trying to figure what had happened and what to do now. They passed by the front of the hotel doors, Vivian still tucked closely into his side.

Another loud bang echoed and the sound of glass shattering resonated in the large foyer. Stephen whipped around, covering Vivian's body with his large frame before he could feel glass sprinkling over them. Another branch had fallen, the wind carrying it into one of the large windows that made the foyer look so grand. He felt Vivian's hands clutch onto his shirt and he held onto her tighter. He wasn't sure what the hell was running through his body, but it was a mixture of anxiety and concern – he didn't want Vivian to be hurt. Pulling back he searched her face, a flood of relief sweeping over him when there wasn't a speck of blood or a scratch on her.

"Yeh no hurt are yeh?" She shook her head no as she tried to look around him to see the damage. They weren't that close to the windows but the glass had flown across the foyer, scattering little shards everywhere. Stephen turned around, astounded by how bad the storm had become. The wind was blowing through the building now, bringing the rain with it.

"You're bleeding." Vivian gasped, stepping onto her tiptoes to get a closer look. "There might be glass in there."

Stephen swiped at the back of his neck, feeling blood on his fingertips. He'd suffered worse in the ring but Vivian's concern was making him feel like he'd lost a limb. He turned around with a smile on his face then gave Vivian a soft kiss on her lips. He knew he wanted to get her back to her room and use what little time they had together wisely. With his hand resting at the small of her back he started ushering her forward then said, "It's nothing, now watch yeh step."

* * *

**A/N – Thank you boston246, xthefirestillburns, prettybaby69, KatieKayfabe, Blackhat, shakeitsalome, charmedbyortonbarrett, VolcomStoneBabe and ThatGirl54 for the lovely reviews once again! Lou x**


	7. What I Truly Want

_**What I Truly Want**_

Flooded with shock, Vivian held tightly onto Stephens hand. Everything was so surreal. Staff were running around, trying to calm customers that had understandably become caught up in the chaos. Others were ushering any people that lingered to get away from the windows, just in case.

"Let's go to reception, they'll have a first aid kit." Vivian clung onto Stephens arm. Her eyes were wide as she practically begged him.

"Ah'm fine." Stephen was doing his best to steer her away from the reception and towards the stairs but she was going to have to put her foot down. He'd made sure she didn't get hurt and now he was the one bleeding.

"Stephen please, you're hurt." Her hands curled around his thick strong forearm, wanting him to stop.

"It's jus' a small cut."

Vivian stopped in her tracks making Stephen stop too. "What if it was me? You would have dragged me over there by now."

Stephen smiled then said, "Yeh damn right, but yeh no' strong enough to drag me anywhere." Vivian didn't say anything, she just stared, hoping he would give in. He did. "Alright, yeh win."

Vivian felt a little bit of relief, she just wanted to make sure he was fine, even if he said so himself. He was a man obviously capable of taking care of himself, but that didn't stop her from wanting to take care of him too. She was just a caring person by nature. She walked over to reception with Stephen by her side, all too aware that he may be a little reluctant.

"Hi, this is my-" Vivian looked up at Stephen and bit her lip, utterly staggered as to how to finish her sentence. She turned back to the young woman behind reception and said, "Friend. Do you have a first aid kit or something, he's cut his neck."

"It's really nothin'"

"Oh." The woman turned to Stephen and smiled, "You're going to have to fill out an accident form."

The woman disappeared without a word and then returned with a notepad and first aid box. She came around to the front of reception and opened the box first, getting out swabs of cotton wool and a bottle. "Where are you cut?"

"It's jus' on me neck."

"Can I see?" The woman asked, smiling sweetly at Stephen. Vivian knew that smile – she used it all the time. Stephen casually turned around after giving Vivian a quick smile which she gladly returned. She knew he thought he was okay, but there was still blood trickling from the wound and into his shirt.

The woman stepped closer to Stephen and to Vivian's surprise she gently reached up and squeezed Stephens shoulder. _Get off him_. Oh god, she didn't want to be that kind of woman.

"I can do that." Vivian smiled at the woman, mentally batting her hand away from Stephen. She pointed to the cotton wool and bottle of antiseptic solution. The unmistakable pang of jealousy had hit Vivian and she wasn't sure what to do to get rid of it. Stephen gave her a funny look and Vivian wanted to kick herself. Stephen wasn't hers. Hell, she'd only known him for five days.

Slowly the woman pulled her hand back and Vivian watched as she handed Stephen a form on a clipboard and a pen. "Give it back to me when you're done."

Vivian remained silent, wondering if she was that transparent. Maybe she was just caught up in the moment – Stephen playing her protector had stirred emotions in her that she would have to bury deep down and hope they didn't return.

"Yeh going to play nurse or what?" Brought out of her thoughts by Stephens voice, Vivian nodded. "Yeh alright? Yeh don' look too well."

"No, I'm fine. Let's sit over there." Vivian pointed to a set of seats around the corner from the reception and out of the wind blowing through the shattered window. She took hold of a couple cotton swabs and took the bottle with her.

Vivian sat down next to Stephen as he said, "Ah'm goin' to make yeh pay for this, lass."

"I forgot they would need you to do this." Vivian cringed as she poured a bit of the liquid in the bottle onto a cotton swab. "This will probably sting."

"Ah know, lass. Ah've had me fair share of injuries." Stephen turned around so she could reach his neck. She dabbed the wool onto the cut, flinching slightly as he hissed in pain.

"There's no glass in there." Vivian mumbled, cleaning over and around the cut. The blood had stopped seeping from it and maybe she had overreacted a little bit. "I think you'll survive."

"Yeh think?" Stephen grinned, turned around to plant a kiss on Vivian's cheek. She felt her cheeks flush with heat, confusion still ruling her mind. "Come back to my room when ah've done this?"

"Really?"

"Ah thought yeh knew what ah had planned after dinner."

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothin'."

Vivian felt like the luckiest girl alive. For now she would go with her emotions and sort out the mess that was left when they would inevitably part. But she liked Stephen. Still close to him, her gaze swept over the cut on his neck. She'd noted the tiny freckles that adorned him along with the scars she'd noticed earlier. Wanting to explore his body some more, Vivian leaned over, her hand coming to rest on his jean clad thigh and she whispered into his ear, "Hurry up."

As if she'd rushed him, Stephen started scribbling bits on information down onto the form, eventually signing it claiming he wouldn't sue. Vivian wasn't surprised – anyone liked to sue if they could these days. Eventually they were heading back to Stephens room on the second floor, having to take the stairs instead of the elevator. They'd been told the power would be back on soon but it was already starting to get dark.

Following Stephen into his hotel room, Vivian wasn't surprised to see it looked identical to hers. His suitcase was laid out next to his bed, clothes pulled out like he had been in a rush. She walked over to the window overlooking the car park, still amazed that the weather hadn't gotten any better.

"Ah need to change me shirt." Vivian glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Stephen pulling his shirt over his head - the muscles in his chest rippled with the moment. Feeling a pang of lust coil tightly in her abdomen she looked away.

Vivian stared out of the window as she heard Stephen shuffling about – eventually hearing the tap in the bathroom running; he was probably washing the blood off his hands. She watched the wind lash the rain at the glass; the room was getting darker as each second passed - she just hoped the power would be back on soon. Feeling a strong pair of hands on her shoulders, she jumped a little. It was obvious she was still shaken from what had happened in the lobby, but she continued to feel much better with Stephen there.

"Ah didn't mean to scare yeh." He ran his hands down her arms, lacing his hands with hers.

"I know." Vivian leant her head back onto Stephens chest and let out a deep sigh. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

Vivian let go of Stephens hands and turned around, wanting to read his face when she asked him. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Yeh didn't need to ask, ah already had that planned." He reached up to stroke her cheek, and Vivian felt her heart swell. He affected her in a way she couldn't put into words.

"I want to know what it's like to fall asleep in your arms." Vivian dipped her gaze to his throat, feeling a little bit stupid. She couldn't explain herself though, all she knew was that she wanted to be close to Stephen. "Please?"

Vivian bravely looked up into Stephens eyes, expecting him to be put back by her forwardness, but instead he framed her face with his big hands and gave her a long, slow kiss. She was taking that as his answer and it suited her just fine. Stephen pulled away from her and moved over to the bed. He stretched out on one side and patted his hand on the duvet, inviting her over to him.

"What are you doing?" Vivian moved to the side of the bed, trailing her fingers over the soft cotton sheet.

"Jus' come here." Stephen smiled and she did as he wanted, sitting on the edge of the bed and sliding across to be next to him. He wrapped both of his big arms around her and pulled her into his body. She felt him kiss the top of her head and never before had she felt so much at ease. His warmth and strength surrounded her; deep down she longed for time to stand still.

"I don't want to sleep now, Stephen." Vivian mumbled, letting her eyes slip shut anyway. She couldn't help it, Stephen was too damn comfortable.

"Ah know, yeh just need some rest for what ah've got planned." With those words Vivian's eyes snapped open and she looked up, only to have Stephen capture her lips against his. Her hands skimmed up his chest and over his shoulders kissing him back whilst her hand slipped into his hair. Gently her nails scraped against him, tilting her head so she could kiss him better. What a perfect way to spend - maybe - her last night in Dublin.

* * *

_**A/N – Thank you shakeitsalome, Blackhat, ThatGirl54, xthefirestillburns, wolviegurl, prettybaby69, VolcomStoneBabe and Nisi85 for the lovely reviews :) you're all pretty awesome! Lou x**_


	8. Thank You For The Memories

_**Thank You For The Memories**_

Gently Stephens thick fingers stroked over the small of her back under her shirt. Back and forth, back and forth. It was soothing and comforting. Still curled up next to him, she could stay there forever. Vivian had asked him to tell her stories about his life in the WWE - from meeting young children that admired him to overzealous fans that often overstepped boundaries.

It was nice that he trusted her enough to share those stories, some more personal than others. In all honesty, she could listen to him talk all day long, about what she didn't quite care. They'd been lying there for a few hours now – just talking and a exchanging a few kisses here and there. Feeling like she need to wake herself up she knew exactly what was needed.

"I need to shower." Vivian mumbled against Stephens chest, "I didn't get the chance to before dinner."

"Yeh can shower here." Stephen kissed just below her ear, down her throat and over her shoulder. She shuddered and shivered - he already knew exactly what to do to make her a writhing mess.

"I don't have any more clothes or anything here." Vivian gasped as Stephens teeth grazed her skin lightly.

"Yeh don' need clothes."

Vivian let a smile creep onto her face, suddenly thoroughly rested. She sat up and gently tugged on Stephens hand. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Stephen groaned as she dragged him up, obviously extremely comfortable how he had been lying. The power had returned about an hour ago and the wind had died down a little bit, but the rain continued to fall. They both entered the small bathroom, and Vivian found it hard to keep her hands to herself. Stephen had become an addiction in the shortest amount of time – it was going to take one huge distraction to get him off her mind once she returned home.

Vivian was pulled from her thoughts as Stephen turned the shower on, waiting a few moments before sticking his hand under the spray to gauge the temperature of the water. It seemed warm enough as plumes of steam began to fill the room.

"Lass, there isn't much room in 'ere." Turning around, he found Vivian already stripped of her clothes, she was just pushing her black lace panties down her legs and stepping out of them. Gently she placed her hand on his shoulder, helping her to climb into the bathtub. The water was a pleasant temperature as she first of all placed her hands under, followed by the rest of her body. She was aware of Stephen watching her every move.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch me, or are you going to join me?" Vivian turned around, eyes closed, tilting her head back to the water flowed over her hair.

"Ah'm going to watch yeh…for now." Stephens voice was a low rumble and she carefully opened her eyes to see him with one hand braced against the wall. His gaze was skimming over her body, like he was memorising every curve.

"Suit yourself." Vivian spotted some of the hotels shower gel, and knowing she had nothing else to use she reached for it. As she picked it up, Stephen reached out and grabbed her wrist. She let go of the little bottle and glanced up to meet Stephens gaze.

"Ah think yeh'll find that's my job." He licked his lips and let go of her wrist. In one swift movement he had his shirt off and then he started taking off his jeans. It was a sight she wanted to get used to. Once he'd fully stripped he stepped into the tub, now taking up all the space. Gently he turned her around so her back was to him. She held her breath as the water from the shower hit her chest, the room had filled with steam and it was getting hot – but she didn't care.

She felt Stephens hand on her back, the liquid soap in his hand was cool and it made her jump. His other hand came around her front over her belly and she felt herself melt under his touch. He rubbed the soap into her skin so it lathered up. His big hands slipped over her wet skin with ease all whilst he trailed kisses over her neck. With a thud she was pulled into his chest and the feeling of him behind her had her knees feeling weak.

Just as Vivian was getting used to his touch, he slipped his hand between her thighs making her gasp. In shock, she clawed at his arm, her nails digging into his fine pale skin. "Stephen," She only managed to say his name in one rushed breath.

"Yes?" She could tell he was grinning by the way he spoke. He ran one thick finger over her before gently rubbing her clit. She thought she was about to crumble to the floor.

"More." Vivian tried to move as the water continued to spray over them but Stephen had a strong grip on her. "Please, Stephen."

"Right here in the shower?"

"Mmm-hmm." Stephen finally loosened his grip and Vivian seized the opportunity to turn around and run her hands over his body. She trailed her fingers down his wet abdomen, disturbing the water that had settled in the muscled grooves. Tentatively she wrapped her hand around his hard length, stroking up and down.

"Get back against the wall." Stephen growled and Vivian saw the intensity in his eyes. She did as he asked, her back pressing against the cold tiles. It made her shiver, her whole body reacting to the temperature drop. "Stay right there."

Vivian didn't intend on going anywhere, but Stephen quickly jumped out of the tub. He picked up his jeans rummaging around until he eventually pulled out his wallet. Just like before he ended up with a sealed condom in his hand and as he stepped back into the tub, Vivian took it upon herself to take it from him, ripping into the packet. She rolled it down his thick shaft and before she knew it she was lifted up into Stephens arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gripped onto his shoulders. The shower was still running but neither of them were directly under the water anymore.

"Ah won't let yeh fall." Stephen murmured against her throat and Vivian only nodded in return. She knew he wouldn't in every sense.

She slipped on the wet tiles behind her back but Stephen had her held tightly against him. He kissed her hard and pushed into her - wet, slick and oh so tight. She moaned at the sheer size of him, still not used to how big he was. But just like before the pleasure kicked in and it was worth it. His big hands were settled on her backside as he thrust into her. His movements were slow and purposeful to start off with, drawing out long moans from her. She couldn't help it – everything felt so good.

The look in his eyes changed and he drove into her with such power her nails raked across his back. He continued to hold her up with one arm, his other hand moving so he could slide his thumb across her clit. She arched her back at the contact, feeling a lick of pleasure roll over her. He did it again and her breath caught in her throat. Stephens lips trailed across her shoulder, gently nipping at her skin as his thumb continued to rub over her clit again and again. It was the start of her undoing. He was relentless and fast. Every stroke making her tumble towards ecstasy.

Her legs tightened around him, trying to keep up with the pace but she struggled. His name slipped of her tongue along with a few words she couldn't quite make out herself. Stephen buried his face into her neck and deep groan rumbled from his chest. His bruising grip moved to her hip, squeezing roughly has he came.

He brought his hand to the back of her neck, stealing a hard kiss as he stopped moving. They stayed there for a minute. Everything was a hazy blur, only able to hear the running of the shower and the pounding of her heart. Slowly Stephen set her down but kept her close. He turned the now cold shower off before reaching for a towel. Vivian couldn't formulate words as he wrapped it around her and picked her up, carefully setting her down outside of the tub.

Vivian held the towel with one hand as she brushed water off her face. Her legs felt weak, almost like they were about to give under her weight. She had her back to Stephen but she heard the toilet flush and before she knew it he had turned her around, a towel now slung around his waist.

Stepping into Stephens embrace Vivian held onto him, still unable to stand upright without feeling her legs wobble. He pulled the towel around her tighter and gently rubbed down her arms. They moved into the warm hotel room, both unfazed at the prospect of being naked around each other. She couldn't get rid of the smile on her face.

"Someone's happy." Stephen swiped his thumb over her cheek, getting rid of a drop of water.

"You make me happy." Vivian said without thinking, watching Stephens eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "I mean, after a performance like that."

"Ah'll take that compliment." Stephen grinned, stepping away from Vivian to move towards the bed. Vivian turned as her eyes followed him. "Yeh going to join me?"

Stephen stretched his arms above his head before he sprawled out on the bed again. His wet hair was spiked up in all directions, droplets of water slipping down his chest. Vivian was finding it hard to believe this wasn't some kind of incredible dream. Maybe if she got her hands on him again, she'd know. She tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear, already knowing that it was turning into loose curls as it dried. Eventually she moved over to the bed again, crawling across the soft duvet to get into Stephens warm embrace. He kissed her shoulder and down her arm as far as he could reach.

Vivian looked up at Stephen, amazed at how far they had gotten to know each other in such a small amount of time, how well they got on - everything was easy. Everything was just…right. That didn't stop her mind from going places they shouldn't. Stephen was a catch, she'd be crazy if she didn't linger over the thought of dating him for even one second.

"What happens when we leave?" Vivian asked the inevitable question that lingered in her mind even though it pained her to do so. The only problem was, she hadn't actually intended to say it out loud. She was just wondering to herself.

"Ah don' have an answer for that." Vivian felt her chest contract, trying her hardest to stop the feeling of rejection rushing through her body. It hurt, but what could she do? This was a just a fling that fate had decided to throw their way. A fun - albeit scary at times - evening together was all they had.

The silence was sickening. She waited for him to continue, to tell her they would work things out, that she was worth the hassle of seeing again even if they lived so many miles apart. It didn't come, and Vivian felt more foolish as each stretched out second ticked by.

"Ah've enjoyed yeh company though." Stephen smiled as he said those words. Should she take that as some kind of compliment? Unsure, she sat up, trying to recapture whatever modesty she had left.

_Save face_ she told herself.

"I'm going to go, it's late and I don't really know what's happening in the morning." Vivian uttered as she scrambled out of the bed and away from Stephen.

"Ah thought yeh wanted to stay the night?" She heard the confusion in his voice but that didn't stop her.

"It's easier this way," Vivian gathered up her clothes, trying to put each item on as quick as possible before she broke down. She was an emotional wreck, all because she'd forged an attachment. One that she'd burned into her mind not to make. "For me, it's easier."

"Vivian, ah can't promise yeh anything. Ah'm no' in the position to make a long distance relationship work. Yeh a lovely lass-" Stephen was hovering around her as she finally pulled her top over her head. He'd put some jeans on but that was all.

"Don't." Vivian shook her head, "Don't humour me."

Vivian felt his hand on her shoulder as he said, "Ah'm sorry yeh thought this was more."

Vivian narrowed her eyes, rejection slowly turning into something much worse. Anger. The door seemed a million miles away. Every step she took thundered through her body, echoing through her head. It was awful. Gripping onto the door handle she turned around and said in a blunt voice, "Thank you for dinner and the amazing sex."

It was an abrupt exit, one she'd seen in movies and had always wanted to recreate at some point. Why she'd chosen this exact moment she'd never know. Before she knew it she was out in the hallway, the door closed behind her. She felt numb, stupid and above all she felt like she was turning into some crazed lunatic. Turning around she lifted her hand to knock on the door. What the hell was she doing? She couldn't go back - her cheeks flushed with embarrassment over how she'd acted. And worst of all, she'd known all along that their time together wouldn't stem into a relationship.

Retreating from the door, Vivian felt her emotions spill over. She'd never felt like this before. She'd never wanted like she thought Stephen wanted her. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she dialled one of her colleagues, hoping they had some information on when they would be out of her. She wanted to leave the humiliation in Dublin and wish that it wouldn't follow her home.

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**A/N – Thank you shakeitsalome, boston246, charmedbyortonbarrett, ThatGirl54, Blackhat and prettybaby69 for the lovely reviews, you guys keep me going! Lou x **


	9. Hung Up

_**Hung Up**_

The rain had stopped, the wind had ceased and Dublin Airport was up and running once again. Having left the hotel at 5am, Stephen was waiting for his new flight to leave. On edge and unable to settle, he messed about with his phone. His gaze darted to every person that passed but after a while the faces blurred together. Then he saw her. It had to be her. He stood up, accidentally bumping into someone as he cleared a path through the mass of people trying to get back home. He muttered a sorry but he didn't dare take his eyes off her in fear that she'd get swept into the crowd. She was standing still and he neared her, fearing that she was some kind of mirage, like his mind was playing some sick trick on him.

She didn't disappear. He reached for her elbow and she didn't vanish. "Vivian." The smile on Stephens face dropped when she turned around. "Ah'm sorry, ah thought yeh were someone else."

Stepping away with an apologetic look on his face, he moved away, dragging his suitcase behind him. His eyes were heavy from a sleepless night and all he wanted to do was get back to Connecticut so he could do his job. He glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head in disbelief. Was he really trying to search her out when he'd dismissed her so easily the night before?

After waiting another hour until he could get through customs, Stephen was finally on his way back to the US. After much hassling with the staff at New York's JFK airport, he eventually got on a connecting flight to Hartford. His journey was restless with only a couple of hours sleep on the way to New York – after that he was fighting though the day with coffee and no doubt energy drinks once he got to the arena. Once he touched down in Hartford, he was in a cab to the arena thankful that he still had hours to spare before the show started.

The day was far from over and he already found himself rubbing his temples, trying to warn away a looming headache. He was just thankful the meeting with his PA went by quick, only having to pick up his schedule for the next few weeks. This was what he needed, to get back to normality. Which for him was traveling across the country to entertain the fans – what he does best.

Dragging himself and his suitcase down the empty corridors of the arena, Stephen pulled his phone out of his pocket, pulling up the message from Vivian all those days ago. With a sigh he closed it and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He'd made the decision to not take it any further with her, now he had to get over it and continue with life. It was hard though, seeing her face pop up in his mind. The hurt look in her eyes still made his heart clench – he hadn't meant to do that.

Stepping into the room assigned for him and a few other Smackdown superstars, Stephen was relieved to find it was only his friend Stu Bennett in the room, earphones on and in another world of his own. He walked past Stu, slapping him on his shoulder as he passed him to sit on a bench opposite him.

Stephen grinned as Stu pulled his headphones off so they hung around his neck then stood up. "How're yeh, fella?"

"Good mate, how was your trip home?" Stu asked as he started pulling his wrestling gear from his bag whilst looking over at his friend.

Stephen glanced up from his phone that once again he had absently pulled out of his pocket and nodded with interest, "Was good to be back."

"You're making it sound like it was hell." Stu laughed at Stephens dull tone and shook his head.

Hell was the last way he'd describe his time back home in Dublin. He'd spent much time with his parents and sisters, hanging out and just being a family. It was nice, and normal. Then he'd met Vivian.

"Ah met someone." Stephen blurted out, hoping he could confide in one of his best friends. He wasn't sure if Stu would help or take the piss though. Stu stared at him as if he didn't understand so Stephen continued, "A woman."

"What's the problem? She lives in Ireland?" Stu frowned at him.

Stephen shook his head and adjusted the basketball cap on his head. "She's from Boston."

"Closer than Ireland I guess." Stu crossed his arms over his chest, a smirk pulling at his lips. "She really got to you, didn't she? What's her name?"

"Yeh know what, it doesn't matter." Stephen stood up and opened his bag, wanting to find something to do to get Stu to resist from asking more questions. He knew he shouldn't have brought it up.

"I've known you for ten years mate, don't bullshit me." Out of the corner of his eye, Stephen saw Stu sit down on the bench next to him. "Did she know you're a wrestler?" Stu asked, knowing the kind of fans they got.

Stephen tried to fight the smile that appeared on his face but it was impossible. Stephen shook his head as he said, "She thought ah was a stripper."

With a hearty laugh, Stu gave Stephen a friendly slap on the back. "Sounds like a keeper, I love a woman with a sense of humour."

"Ah told her it wouldn't work out between us."

Stu stared at him for a moment then nodded and said, "Now that sounds like the Stephen I know."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You think it won't work before you've even given it a chance." Stu stood up and Stephen watched him walk across the room, "You like her, and if she didn't mean anything to you, we wouldn't be having the conversation right now."

Stephen opened his mouth to fire a comeback at Stu but nothing came to mind. He was right.

"How did you leave things with her?" Stephen cringed at the question, having to mentally relive the moment he'd told her he'd enjoyed her company, followed by her leaving his hotel room. "What did you do?"

Scratching the back of his neck, Stephen muttered, "Thanked her for her company."

"Wow. What's she like?" Stu asked and smirked as Stephen didn't hesitate to list off everything about her.

"She's stunning." Stephen licked his dry lips, "Smart - she's a lawyer. We talked for hours about everything."

"And you didn't want to maybe date her because?"

"It was five days, things moved quick." Stephen grumbled when he added, "too quick."

"I don't understand." Stu frowned as he added, "A smart, beautiful woman takes interest in you, and you fuck it up?"

"Ah don' either." Stephen had no idea what he was doing any more. He'd let her slip through his fingers instead of taking a risk. He shouldn't have ended things the way he did.

"You have her number?"

"Yeah." Stephen reached for his phone in his pocket.

"Call her." Sitting down on the bench next to his bag, Stu stretched his legs out in front of him.

"Yeh think ah should do this?"

"Do you think she's going to be like Jessica?"

Shaking his head Stephen said, "Ah already know she's nothin' like her."

The memories of his last girlfriend weren't happy ones to say the least. She'd taken him for a fool. He'd let her into his closely guarded life, let her into his home and found her cheating on him with one of the regulars from his local gym. He blamed himself - not being able to give her what she needed. Being on road so much wasn't the perfect recipe for a healthy relationship, he just didn't know how some people did it. Maybe now he was just realising that he just had to find that certain woman, one that wouldn't resort to cheating when she had to spend nights alone. One that wouldn't mind him living out his dreams before he'd be able to settle down and start a family. The idea sounded novel - though he might have better luck finding a needle in a haystack.

"Give it a go then, mate."

Nodding his head, Stephen knew to take his friends advice. What was the worst that could happen? He left the room, needing his privacy, but mainly so Stu wouldn't hound him if he fucked things up even more. He found a quiet corridor, full of equipment used to set up the stage for the nights show.

Racking his mind for the right words to say, he found nothing. Would an apology over the phone cover what he'd done? Pulling up her number a wave of regret washed over him, suddenly wishing he hadn't let her leave his hotel room like she did.

He called her. The first ring making his heart beat fast against his chest. He couldn't do it. He hit the end call button and stared at his phone. He didn't get nervous. The only time he allowed the nerves to kick in was when he was stood waiting to run down the ramp to the ring in front of thousands of people.

Maybe she wasn't even back home yet, he had no clue if she'd gotten onto a flight. Taking a deep breath he paced the hallway, calling her number again, telling himself he'd leave a message if she didn't answer. The phone picked up and he heard a timid hello; Stephen opened his mouth to say something, anything.

"Stephen! We need to talk!" The loud voice of his boss Vince McMahon followed by a strong grip on his shoulder startled Stephen. He ended the call and put the phone in his pocket, turning to acknowledge his boss. "Nice of you to make it back in time."

"The weather in Ireland is unpredictable." Stephen smiled and joked with the older man, curious as to what he wanted to talk about.

"My office five minutes, I have a few phone calls to make first." Stephen nodded, watching Vince walk away from him and down the corridor.

Pulling his phone out again, his heart lodged in his throat at the sight of a notification for a voice mail flashed on the screen. He listened to the message, knowing it was Vivian before he even heard her voice.

_Stop calling me. I don't know what you want, but you're messing with my head. You want nothing to do with me, remember?_

The message ended, but the phone was still pressed against his ear. He was speechless, unable to get her words out of his head. Knowing he'd fucked up and hearing her hurt voice only made him feel worse about everything. He thought about how she'd acted at the hotel, wanting him to seek medical attention over the smallest of cuts. She was a selfless and caring. A smile graced his face and he saved the message to his phone. He needed to see her.

* * *

**A/N – Thank you XmarX, shakeitsalome, xthefirestillburns, ZoeyLeigh03, ThatGirl54, Kinnetikx2, prettybaby69, wolviegurl, SoulSoother59 and charmedbyortonbarrett for the amazing reviews, hope you hate me less after this chapter XD! Lou x**


	10. Say Yes

_**Say Yes**_

Two weeks. Fourteen days. He'd listened to the voice mail Vivian had so kindly left him every day, just to hear her voice. She plagued his mind and he didn't hesitate to go about torturing himself listening to her over and over again. He'd plucked up the courage after a few more words from Stu to call again, unsurprisingly getting no answer. So this time he left his own voice mail, letting her know he'd be in Boston for a couple of media days promoting the next pay per view. He was staying at the Marriot next to the harbour, perfect views into North Atlantic ocean. Asking her to meet him at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park he knew he'd taken a risk, unsure whether she would actually bother showing up. She had. He'd wandered around the park, hoping she would show. He'd been approached by fans and he'd gladly signed autographs and take pictures, but he was always keeping an eye out for her. He'd spotted her sat on a bench, wearing another white sundress. Clearly she was cold, the breeze from the ocean at this time of the day wasn't at all warm. He thought back to the day she'd wandered into the pub wearing the same, soaked to the skin and clearly not a local Dublin lass.

Trying to focus his mind as he neared, he cleared his throat. She hadn't noticed him yet so he watched her as he approached and saw she was playing with the plain silver band on her middle finger. The evening next to the harbour brought with it a cold chill and she sat there without a jacket, rubbing her arms to try and get warmed up. He unzipped his sweatshirt and shrugged it off as he got closer. She'd lifted her head up, noticing him but stared with no expression, not even a smile. "How're yeh, lass?"

"Hey." Vivian eventually smiled when he smiled, standing up from the bench she was perched on. He was happy to see her. He wanted to grab her and kiss her, wanting to feel her lips on his again. Though he knew if he did that there would be consequences.

"Yeh actually came." When he stopped in front of her she looked into his eyes, soft but full of caution. He took it upon himself to drape his sweatshirt over her shoulders, just like he had done when he'd first met her.

"I shouldn't be here." Vivian said and Stephen couldn't help but shake his head no in response. He expected her to pull off the sweatshirt and slap him across the face. Maybe even yell at him and storm off in a rage, but she didn't. She stood there with her head held high, then to his surprise she threaded her arms into the sweatshirt.

"Why not?" He stepped closer to her, shielding her body from some of the wind the evening brought with it.

"I want you and I can't have you. I'm just driving myself crazy by doing this."

Stephen reached for her arm, an act of compassion but really he just wanted to remember what she felt like. He wanted to see if she'd react to his touch like she used to. "But yeh still came to see me."

"Call me a fool." Pulling her arm back, Vivian tried to move away from him.

"Vivian-"

"I don't know what you did to me in Ireland, Stephen."

Unable to stop his lips from sliding into a knowing smirk, Stephen wasn't surprised when he felt Vivian punch him in the arm. He grunted and rubbed the spot, making her think she had some strength behind her throw.

"I'm being serious. I was confident and independent. I had a hold of my life, I knew where I was going." Vivian pressed her fingers against her temple, "And then I met you, and without knowing you turned my life upside down." She laughed at herself, "I only saw you, what, four times?"

"Ah didn't realise." Stephen felt his body flood with guilt, but what for he wasn't quite sure. He knew he couldn't give her what she wanted, could he?

"I didn't either." Vivian sighed, "Not before it was too late."

"Ah'm sorry."

"What for?" Vivian smiled when he struggled for words, "I'm glad we both got home safe, Stephen. Goodnight."

"No." Stephen reached for her, taking hold of her waist so she couldn't walk away from him. Not again.

"What?" Vivian was searching his eyes but Stephen could see nothing but confusion and disappointment in hers.

"Ah can't let yeh go." Stephen moved his hands to her face. She was so beautiful, and he'd caused the painful look in her eyes. He couldn't stand that, but he couldn't look away.

"You don't know what you're saying." He started down at her, those words ringing loud in his mind. He leaned forward, able to feeling her shallow breath blowing across his neck. "You know what you want Stephen. You also know what you don't want and you made it clear that was me."

Stephen brushed his thumbs across her cheeks and she wrapped her hands around his wrists, gently pulling him away from her. "Ah can't make yeh happy Vivian."

"Wow." Vivian laughed, "I didn't know you could look into the future. Why are you doing this?"

I want you. I don't want anyone else to have you. "Ah don't know."

Vivian smiled softly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're a remarkable man, but the next time you're in Boston, please don't find me."

Stephen had a determined look in his eye, and Vivian couldn't hold his gaze any more. "Ah want yeh again. Ah haven't stopped thinking abou' yeh."

Reaching for her, he quickly had his arm around her waist, tucking her into his body. She tried to resist, her hands pressing against his chest but she soon softened in his grasp. Vivian looked up at him, voice quiet as she said, "Please don't do this."

"Ah can't help meself." Stephen framed her face with one hand, sliding his thumb across her cheek. "Yeh so beautiful."

"Stephen-"

"Tell me to stop and ah will." With those words he kissed her lips, gently at first, wondering if she would pull away. She didn't. He tilted his head and traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. He felt her hands grip onto his shirt, the soft curves of her body pushing against him.

Pulling away from her slowly, he didn't want to make her do anything she didn't want to. Her eyes were shut, wet lips parted as she took shallow breaths. Stephen kissed the corner of her mouth and she opened her eyes. He'd seen that look before. One of lust and longing. Her hands moved up his chest and she whispered, "Don't stop."

"Come back to me hotel?" Stephen knew he was playing with fire, taking a huge risk. A bout of deja vu was going to hit them, but he couldn't help but want to have her again. "We don' have to do anything yeh don' want to."

"I..." Vivian took a deep breath and she just stared at him.

"Yeh can just fall asleep in me arms like yeh wanted to." Stephen smiled, half joking, but wanting her next to him more than anything.

"I can't do this. I don't want you to hurt me."

"Ah won't."

"You already have, Stephen!" Vivian tried to take off the sweatshirt that he'd made her wear but Stephen grabbed hold of the two halves, fumbling with the zipper. Even with her protest he managed to zip it up.

"Yeh'll get cold."

"Why do you do this?" She grabbed hold of his hands that were still on the sweatshirt, "You act like a complete insensitive jackass, and then you're so sweet and caring."

"Ah'm a typical bloke?" Stephen gave her a sheepish grin, hoping she wouldn't stay mad at him forever. Her hands held onto his and he couldn't help but squeeze them, tempted to pull her into his arms.

"You're something alright." Vivian mumbled.

"Ah'm sorry for how ah acted." Stephen tugged her a little closer, "If yeh can forgive me, ah'd like to take yeh on a date. A real one this time."

"I don't know..."

"Look, ah don' know how this will work between us, but if ah don' try ah'll regret it." Stephen sighed as she remained silent, obviously thinking things over in her head. "How abou' a drink and we can talk things over, if yeh willing to give me a second chance?"

"Just a drink." Vivian nodded and took a deep breath. Her answer wasn't a disappointment at all, he just wanted to get in her good books again. Smiling to himself he was starting to think he'd do anything it would take.

"Anythin' yeh want, lass"

"Okay."

She looked up at him, deep brown eyes sucking him in. He wanted to lean down and kiss her again but he feared that he might just scare her off. Having come so far he didn't want to risk that even though she hadn't resisted, in fact she hadn't wanted him to stop. Instead Stephen said, "Thank yeh."

Knowing she was holding back, he realised she didn't trust him and he didn't blame her. He'd have to win her trust back, but he had just the plan for that.

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**A/N – Thank you SoulSoother59, ThatGirl54, shakeitsalome, Blackhat, housesbabe1 and xthefirestillburns (and anyone else that reviews, I know this was a quick update :D) for the lovely reviews! So glad you're all still enjoying the story :) Lou x**


	11. Fifth Time's A Charm

_**Fifth Time's A Charm**_

Vivian stood there, staring out in the harbour. She couldn't face looking into Stephens eyes any longer. She'd agreed, but after all he had taken the time out of his schedule to see her, surely that counted for something. With her handbag secured over one shoulder, she glanced at Stephen. His gaze carried over her to her bare legs then back up again. She might as well have been naked – that's how she felt when he looked at her. Like he could read her mind, know her next move.

"Lets go." She uttered, feeling another gust of wind blow the skirt of her dress to one side.

Feeling Stephens hand on her back, Vivian fought the urge to turn herself into his body, wrap her arms around his wide torso and just hold on tight. She couldn't do that, so instead she balled her hands into fists and let Stephen guide her.

"We're going to your hotel?"

"That's where yeh like to do yeh drinking, isn't it?" Vivian rolled her eyes at his comment as they left the park and crossed the road towards his hotel. "Ah'm joking wit' yeh, lass."

Stephen seemed to know where he was going, walking with purpose through the lobby with her hand in his. People looked at them, the odd couple perhaps? Or maybe it was because she still had Stephens huge sweatshirt on over her dress. The lobby of the Marriot was grand. Everything shimmered and glimmered, the furnishings varying in shades of cream and gold. Huge chandeliers hung from the ceilings, the crystals sending rainbows of colours across the room thanks to the huge floor to ceiling windows filtering light in.

The dining area that overlooked the harbour was adjoined by a bar, there were a few people around, but one part of the bar was cornered off. Stephen glanced over his shoulder and reached for her hand. "Ah thought yeh might like some privacy."

"You planned this?" Vivian asked as they were guided to the table by a waiter. "What would you have done if I hadn't come to see you?"

"Ah'd be drowning me sorrows with whiskey." Stephen squeezed her hand but let go when arrived at the table. Vivian couldn't help but stare out of the windows. She'd lived in Boston forever, but she'd never really appreciated the scenery before.

Whilst she was transfixed with the view, Stephen was unzipping the sweatshirt he'd made her wear to keep warm. He draped it over the back of her chair before gently pushing her towards the empty seat.

"Can I get you some drinks?" Vivian heard Stephen ask for a guinness and contemplated getting a martini or a glass of wine. Something to give her a little bit of courage, but after the last time she did her drinking in a hotel she wasn't too fond of the consequences. No, this time she would be sensible.

"I'll have an orange juice, please." Vivian stated, hoping Stephen wouldn't point out the lack of alcohol.

"That's all?" Stephen raised an eyebrow, probably thinking she would order at least a glass of wine.

"I've learnt my lesson. Hotels, alcohol and you are a mixture not to be messed with."

"So how have yeh been?" Stephen asked softly and Vivian glanced up from the empty wine glass she'd been staring at.

"Busy, really busy in fact. I'm in the middle of this huge case." Vivian smiled, now playing with the fork on the table. She glanced out of the window again, trying to take in the views. Anything other than to look at Stephen. He wasn't one-hundred percent forgiven – not yet anyway.

"Ah'm glad." She heard Stephens voice but she wasn't paying attention. That was until she felt his hand on hers. She jumped, knocking the fork off the table and sending it to the wooden floor with a loud clang.

"Fuck." Vivian muttered briefly forgetting where she was for a moment. She bent over picking the shiny fork up from the floor.

"Excuse me." Vivian jumped at the sound of the waiter's voice. She was permanently on edge thanks to that stupidly good looking Irishman. Wanting to be incredibly cooth, she took a breath and prepared herself. She could do this.

With fork in hand, she went to straighten herself out and sit back in the chair. "Shit." She cursed as the back of her head connected with the sharp edge of the table.

Hearing Stephen dismiss the waiter, it helped a little bit with the embarrassment but still her cheeks flushed and she wanted the ground to swallow her whole. Pressing a hand to her head she rubbed the throbbing spot, but Stephen had already moved around the table to crouch in front of her. His hands were framing her face, concern lining his eyes.

"Get off." Vivian swatted his hands away.

"Ah just want to make sure yeh alright." Stephen mumbled as he dropped his hands, bracing one on his thigh and the other on the chair. "Like yeh did with me, remember?"

"Well, I am alright." What a lie. She was far from it. Stephen still looked concerned as he stood up and backed away from her, eventually sitting back opposite her. She took a deep breath and decided to try again, "So how have you been?"

"Busy too, promoting the Money In The Bank pay per view." Vivian nodded politely, having no idea what he was saying; he seemed to notice because he continued explaining, "Every month we have a big show, well bigger than all the rest."

"Oh..." Vivian smiled, "and you're in this big show?"

Wondering if Stephen believed her charade, she glanced up for a moment, instantly regretting it. He was grinning obviously amused by her lack of wrestling knowledge. Little did he know she'd watched it for the past two weeks, just to see _him_. Talented was what he was. Just thinking about having to perform in front of so many people put butterflies in her stomach, but Stephen, he seemed to take it all in his stride. Revelling in the attention the fans gave him. It was fascinating to watch.

"Ah'm defending me title."

"Well, I wish you luck with that." Polite and curt. That would get her through the evening, because she was sure as hell nothing else would.

"Vivian..." Stephen trailed off with a sigh.

"What?" Narrowing her eyes, Vivian felt all the politeness oozing from her vanish.

"Yeh no' yehself."

There was a moment of silence - the calm before the storm. "How do you want me to act Stephen? Do you want me to be naked in your hotel room again so you can enjoy my company?" Vivian was speaking through gritted teeth, aware of the staff behind the bar looking in their direction, "Because that's how you like me, isn't it?"

In one fell swoop she had managed to retain her crazy status. Stephen looked shocked and a little taken back. This was what she didn't want to happen. He brought this out of her - he was making her act like a complete idiot whilst he sat there as cool as a cucumber. That annoyed her more than anything.

"Ah've got a feeling yeh'll never let me live that down." Stephen shook his head but still a smile graced his face, "Ah made a mistake, Vivian."

"I was the mistake?"

Stephen leant across the table, making his next words very clear. "Letting yeh go like ah did was the mistake, lass."

Vivian nodded and took a deep breath, she needed to calm down. Stephen was trying and surely that had to count for something. "Maybe..." Vivian tried so shake the anger that was still bubbling through her, "Maybe we could start over?"

"Will that make yeh not mad at me? Because ah'm willing to do anythin' at this moment." Stephen grinned and Vivian felt a smile slip to her lips.

"We'll have to try it and see."

"The balls in yer court then." That was what Vivian wanted. The control. And Stephen had handed it to her on a silver platter.

"Great, now where are those drinks?" She should have ordered wine. That was exactly what she needed right now, but that would end with her kissing Stephen whilst dragging him to his hotel room.

As if on cue, the waiter appeared with a black tray resting on the palm of his hand. He set their drinks down and retreated back to the bar. He'd probably heard everything Vivian had almost yelled at Stephen. But she wanted to store some normality back into the situation so she brought up the topic of how he'd gotten home from Dublin and if he'd managed to get to work on time. She wanted to hear him talk, she could listen to him all day in fact.

"Do yeh want anything to eat?" Stephen offered and Vivian could tell he was still trying hard.

"No I'm good thanks, I actually shouldn't stay much longer…"

"Right."

"Are you missing Ireland already?" Again Vivian brought up the subject of Ireland but she couldn't help it. She let herself think of her time there more than she should have. Even when the rain was pouring and the wind was blowing, it was a majestic city. She loved it there and she'd already planned on going back for pleasure instead of business. Thinking of pleasure and Dublin, Vivian locked eyes with Stephen as he answered making her shuffle uncomfortably in her seat.

"Ah'm always missing home, lass, thankfully me job keeps me busy so it isn't on me mind a lot."

Suddenly wondering if she'd been on his mind a lot, Vivian stopped the urge to ask. He'd said that he'd thought about her but in what capacity? Glancing around Vivian noted the bar, the seats and tables, the usual hotel décor. Their usual meeting place the way things were going. But this was Stephens life – practically living in hotels across the country and world.

"Ah think that's yeh phone ringing." Stephen leant back on his chair, finishing off the pint of beer on the table.

"Oh…" Vivian buried her hand in her handbag, trying to fish out the ringing device. By the time she had the phone in hand, the ringing had stopped but a new unread text message was flashing on the screen. "Shoot, I'm needed at work"

"At this time?"

"I told you I'm working on a big case, if something comes up I have to be there for my client."

"Alright." Stephens dejection was clear and it shouldn't have pleased Vivian like it did – she actually felt an ounce of control around him for once.

"It was lovely seeing you again." Vivian peeled Stephens sweatshirt from the back of her chair once she'd stood up, holding it out for him to take back. Her walk back to the car park where she'd left her car was only a few blocks away.

"Yeh should really invest in a jacket." Stephen took the sweatshirt but slung it over her shoulders again, "or do yeh just like wearing mine?"

Vivian smiled at the thought, once again a waft of Stephens aftershave hit her. Sharing his clothes was intimate and she felt lust coil in her abdomen at the thought of being with him again. Before she had the chance to protest and give it back, he had his arm around her waist, guiding her back the same way they came. She'd picked up her bag which was now swinging in her hand as they made their way back through the lobby.

There was a still strong gust from the harbour and thought Vivian wouldn't say it, she was thankful that Stephen had given her his jacket. She was thankful that he wanted to meet her and that he'd apologised. He hadn't pushed her and he hadn't expected anything from her either. He'd been a gentleman.

Vivian looked up at Stephen and smiled, gently slipping her hand into his. He looked down at her as she did, looking a little confused. His warm hand engulfed hers and he squeezed lightly, eventually smiling back at her. Under his trance again, Vivian wanted to kiss him. She wanted him full stop. The gust of wind made Vivian's brown locks blow across her face, she gently shook them away but Stephen was already tucking them behind her ear.

"I told myself not to do this." Vivian bit her lip, letting her heart rule her mind. "My poker face doesn't work around you."

"Be yehself around me, that's what made me like yeh in the first place, Vivian."

Dumbfounded, Vivian stuttered. "You like me? Like, like me like me?"

"Ah have no idea what yeh saying." Stephen laughed and kissed the cold tip of Vivians nose. "Ah want to ask yeh something, yeh don' have to say yes though."

Vivian's smile slipped from her face. If he was going to ask her up to his room she'd give him a swift hard kick in his lucky charms. She wasn't going to make that mistake again. If Stephen liked her like he said, he could go about the old fashioned way of proving it.

"Ah want yeh to be me guest for the show in Boston in two weeks?"

"You want me there?"

"Ah sure would, yeh can bring someone wit' yeh." Stephens hands slipped to her shoulders and he squeezed them as he said, "As long as it's not another man."

Vivian actually laughed, smiling at the hopeful look on Stephens face. "I would love to be your guest, thank you."

"Ah'd like us to have a real date, yeh know, away from a hotel."

A real date; that sounded perfect to Vivian. She smiled and nodded, "A real date sounds good. Here, you need your jacket back."

"Keep it."

"What? No, no I can't do that." Vivian tried to take the sweatshirt off but Stephen stopped her.

"Ah insist, give it to me the next time yeh see me."

"At the show?" Vivian asked, hoping she'd heard him correctly. She felt like she was floating on a cloud and she was sure Stephens charm had done it.

Stephen pulled the sweatshirt around her tighter and pulled her towards him. He leaned forward and Vivian felt her heart beat soar. His lips were so close but he turned and they skimmed across her cheek kissing lightly before he repeated, "At the show."

* * *

**A/N – Thank you Anon, Blackhat, prettybaby69, ThatGirl54, housesbabe1, Shamaness1171, RipleyZero, shakeitsalome, SoulSoother59 and xthefirestillburns for such wonderful reviews, they really mean a lot! :) Lou x**


	12. Back To Where We Started

_**Back To Where We Started**_

Frowning at being shoved for the second time, Vivian followed the man in front of her. There was a buzz in the air, the atmosphere thick with excitement. They passed another group of kids all wearing various t-shirts to support their favourite wrestler. The heat from the lights suspended over the ring hit Vivian as once again she took a look around the arena. The place was filling up quick.

"These are our seats." Vivian didn't hesitate to sit down but she was knocked by the brute next to her. Again.

"Watch it." Vivian snapped and he grinned and slung his arm across her shoulder, ruffling her hair with his hand. "Stop it! I have to look perfect for-"

"For this mystery man?"

"Eat your hotdog." Vivian grumbled, annoyed that her brother had somehow swindled her extra ticket to the show.

"Aren't you going to put your new shirt on?" Will asked before taking a bite of hotdog, washing down with a gulp of beer. He was a pro at attending football games and there was no doubt he'd fit right in here. Everyone was rowdy, chants filling up the arena at random moments. She'd never experienced anything like it in her life.

"Later." She wanted to fit in, to look like a wrestling fan. She'd bought Stephens shirt whilst her brother got food. If she put it on then he'd know and she wanted to suspend the suffering of any questioning for as long as possible.

Will managed to elbow her again. He was a big guy having played football and ice hockey growing up and being squished next to him for the next three hours wasn't going to be the evening she had imagined.

They were seated close to the giant screen and ramp, the tiered seats giving them a good view of the action in the ring. Will had already complained that they didn't have front row seats and she didn't dare tell him she'd rejected Stephens offer of those. Out of nowhere, Will stood up, joining in with the _yes_chants that coursed around the crowd, much to the delight of the kids next to them.

"You're like a big kid!" Vivian tugged on his football shirt, afraid that he would spill his beer on her, "sit down!"

"Lighten up, Viv." Will slumped down again but still the grin on his face hadn't gone. "You'll never enjoy the show at this rate."

He reached for the bag that was nestled on her lap and quickly she snatched it away. "I'll put it on when I'm ready."

"Did it come with a smile?"

"Shut up." Vivian was anxious and that made her uneasy, unable to focus. She wanted to let go and enjoy herself but in the back of her mind she knew she'd be seeing Stephen after the show. Just thinking about it made butterflies explode in her stomach. The last thing she needed was her brother catching on and annoying her about it.

After waiting another thirty minutes, Vivian was finally relieved when the show started. She didn't really have a clue who was who, so she joined in with the boos and cheers. The ladder matches she'd had to endure left her on the edge of her seat, amazed at the athleticism the wrestlers showed. About an hour into the show, she'd slipped the new t-shirt on over her white camisole. She fit in now, the shirt going nicely with her cut off jean shorts and flat shiny gold sandals - though she had yet to figure out what a broguekick hooligan was. Pulling her phone from her across body messenger bag, she snapped a picture before shoving it back, not wanting to miss anything. She'd been smiling and calm for most of the show; that was until images of Stephen flashed up on the screen, along with his ring name _Sheamus_. She recognised the music from what she had seen on TV. Hearing the cheers around her, Vivian opened her mouth to join in but nothing would come out. She clamped her mouth shut, mesmerised as Stephen charged down to the ring but not before beating his chest three times though.

"That's the guy, right?" Vivian felt Will shake her shoulder and she glanced at him for the briefest of moments before turning back to Stephen who'd made it into the ring. His belt was secured around his waist, glistening under the white and green lights that flashed around the arena.

"Yeah." Managing to breathe out those words was a small miracle. Stephen circled the ring, pointing to a few of his fans who had signs. Different music was now blasting from the sound system and another man was coming out. Long hair was tied into a ponytail, skin glistening with what looked to be baby oil. Wanting to know who he was she took a quick look to the screen, seeing the name Drew McIntyre. She wasn't sure if she'd seen him when she'd watched the past few weeks on TV, to be honest, she'd been immersed in just watching Stephen and not much else.

The ref had taken Stephens belt off him and Vivian had already returned to her seat, perching on the edge.

"Someone's got it bad." Vivian turned to Will with a scowl on her face which he just ignored.

"What?"

"Look at you, I've never seen you so tense."

"You've never seen me at work." Vivian smiled, glancing to the ring to see Drew bouncing off the mat.

"Do you love him?"

Vivian couldn't help but scoff. Love? "We went on..." Vivian stopped to count the dates they'd been on. She wasn't too sure what actually counted at a date between them, they'd had run ins here and there. Will didn't need to know any details. "A few dates and that's all."

"So you don't' like him? That's cool, I just want to know what to tell dad when I see him."

"I do like him!" Vivian blurted out and she wanted to smack the grin off his face. "You won't be telling him anything, Will!"

Will held his hands up then gestured to the ring and the match still going on. "I'm not promising anything."

Vivian turned back to the ring, intent on ignoring anything else her brother had to say. Stephen was flat on his back in the middle of the ring, motionless as Drew flew off the ring post, his elbow connecting with Stephens head.

"Shouldn't he be moving by now?" Vivian asked Will, gripping onto his arm, nails bruising his skin. "Why isn't he getting up already? Do you think he's hurt?"

"I think you're crazy." Will pulled her hand from his arm, "he has to make it look like it hurt, Viv."

"Oh yeah, I guess you're right."

"This guy has you acting like an idiot, I feel like the smart sibling for once."

Will had no idea how right he was. She was a smart, respectable, successful lawyer. But as soon as Stephen was in her eyesight she lost all rational thoughts. Vivian patted Will on the shoulder, a sarcastic smile pulling at her lips, "Enjoy it while it lasts."

Will didn't reply, his eyes were on the action in the ring and he grimaced. Whipping around to see what she had missed, her eyes landed on Stephen with his body half way through the ropes, arms clasping onto the ring post. This was going to be a long torturous match, but she knew she'd be cheering for Stephen.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Will asked making Vivian roll her eyes. She had no clue, she was just following the security man that said he would take her to Stephen. She'd had to show him ID and the passes Stephen had left her, but after that he had been just lovely.

Will tugged on her arm but Vivian shrugged him off. "I don't know!" The security guy looked over his shoulder at her and she smiled sweetly. There was so much hustle and bustle backstage that she knew if she took her eyes off the security guy they'd no doubt get lost.

Then she saw him. Topless and wearing only a pair of shorts. He still had his wrestling boots and kneepads on as well as the red tape wrapped around his wrists. He noticed her, eyes locking with hers and he smiled. Her heart fluttered and she had the insatiable urge to throw her arms around Stephen and kiss him. Then she remembered where she was and who was next to her. The security guy muttered something to Stephen but eventually he left.

"Hi Stephen." Vivian finally spoke up. She felt her brother close beside her and she prayed that he would behave.

"Vivian." Stephen only looked at her for a moment before glancing at the man beside her. She hadn't told him who she was bringing, mainly because she hadn't decided until the last minute; that was until Will insisted on coming.

Will took this perfect opportunity to once again sling his arm across her shoulders and tug her into his side. He held his hand out to Stephen, "Nice to meet you, I'm Will. Thanks for the tickets."

Stephen glanced down at the hand waiting for him then looked across to Vivian - she saw the flicker of jealousy behind his eyes. Eventually as the uncomfortable silence trickled on, Stephen took Will's hand into his own and gave it a tight squeeze instead of a shake.

"Wow." Will laughed and tugged his hand back, "you're a strong guy."

"Did yeh enjoy the show?" Stephen looked at Vivian and she smiled.

"It was great!" Will started, "your match, man. When you hit Drew with that backbreaker, that was awesome!"

"Congratulations on keeping the title." Vivian managed to get a few words in as she lovingly rammed her elbow into Will's ribs making him grunt.

"Thanks." Stephen took another look at Will, scanning him from head to toe. Vivian didn't know whether to laugh or scream. Every muscle in her body was tense, stressed at how this meeting would go.

"As fun as this has been, I have to go." Will kissed Vivian on her forehead and clapped Stephen on the shoulder as he walked past him towards the security guy that had just left them, "make sure my sister gets home safe."

Vivian was going to kill him.

Before he left he shouted, "have a good time, Viv." a huge grin had been on his face all night - he knew how to make her life hell.

"Yer brother?" Stephen spluttered, a frown still on his face. "Yeh couldn't have told me that before yeh came?"

"Why? Is there a problem?"

Vivian was sure Stephens lips curled into a snarl - surely he hadn't been that bothered. He reached for her, hand circling around her wrist. "Yeh wearing me shirt. Ah knew yeh liked wearing me clothes." Stephen mumbled as his hand clasped the back of her neck.

Stephen was doing so many things at once she found it hard to catch her breath. He leant down and pulled her up to him at the same time, capturing her lips in a soft but possessive kiss. His arms wrapped around her, moulding her to his body as he parted her lips with his tongue.

Aware that they were in the middle of a corridor, people passing them, Vivian pulled away. That was the last thing she'd expected him to do. Vivian scrambled for something to say, figuring she wouldn't be able to stay much longer she said, "I know you're busy, so I won't keep you."

Stephen let her go from his hold. "It's fine."

"No really."

"Ah was hoping yeh could help me actually." Vivian tried to keep her eyes on Stephens, though his bare chest was calling out to be looked at. She thought about running her hands down his chest again. Just one touch.

"With what?" Vivian crossed her arms over her chest, making sure she didn't do anything stupid.

"Ah hurt me shoulder."

"I'm a lawyer not a doctor."

"Please? Ah'd just need yeh to hold some ice on it, ah can't reach." Vivian was sure Stephen was about to pout. She didn't want to intervene, do anything that she wasn't supposed to, but she did want to stay with Stephen a little bit longer.

"Alright, I just don't want to get into trouble."

"Yeh won', lass. Come wit' me." Stephen took hold of her hand and she followed him as he moved down a corridor. Her eyes were glued to his bare back, watching the muscles bunch and move with each Stephen he took. She noticed the red welts he'd suffered during the match, tempted to kiss them better.

The room he brought her to was empty, but there was a small table with energy drinks, water and snacks. There were a few chairs set up facing a monitor, other than that the room lacked any sort of comforts.

"Here, take this and hold it here." Stephen handed her an ice pack and patted his left shoulder.

"Is this our second date?" Vivian grinned but took the ice pack from Stephen. "Sit down."

Stephen did as she said, slumping onto one of the metal folding chairs. She pushed the ice pack against his shoulder, making him hiss and flinch. He was hurt. She pulled it away, unable to put him in anymore pain.

He looked over his shoulder, "why yeh stop? Ah thought yeh liked playing nurse."

"I don't want to hurt you." Ironic considering she'd really wanted to hurt him after what he'd done.

"Yeh no hurting me. Ah'm used to having to do this."

Surprised, Vivian said, "Is it worth it, for what you do? I mean what if you break your neck or something? Like those guys in that ladder match! They're crazy."

Vivian expected him to say something like you're the crazy one. Instead he turned in his chair, clasped onto her waist with his big hands and pulled her onto his lap. The ice pack went skidding along the floor as she braced her hands on his shoulders. "Stephe-"

He kissed her again. This time it was slow and passionate, fuelled with desire. Both of his arms slipped around her, and she closed her eyes. She knew she should stop him, before they got carried away.

"Alright mate." Vivian leapt from Stephens lap at the unknown English male voice booming into the room. "Didn't mean to interrupt."

Vivian looked at the tall man, a mop of unruly black hair sat messily on his head as if he'd just showered, but his nose – the most crooked she'd ever seen – stole all of her attention. He must have sensed her checking him out because he frowned. He was tall and big, but not as big as Stephen.

"It's fine, I was just leaving."

"Vivian, yeh don' have to go." Stephen was up from his seat, hand gently curling around her wrist.

"Ahh so you're Vivian. Nice to finally put a face to the name." Shocked, Vivian just stood there and stared.

"Leave it, Stu."

"You told him about me?" Whether that was good or bad she wasn't too sure.

"I hope he apologised before you agreed to come here."

"Apologised for what?" Vivian narrowed her eyes and when a knowing smirk tugged at the man's lips, she was utterly speechless. Suddenly she felt like a fool again, embarrassment hitting her like a ton of bricks. Of course Stephen had told his friends what he'd done. Was she one of many? Did Stephen always do this? She glanced down at the shirt she was wearing and then back up at Stu – she didn't like the way he was looking at her. It was as if he'd seen this all before.

* * *

**A/N – Thank you Blackhat, boston246, shakeitsalome, housebabe1, ThatGirl54 and prettybaby69 for the lovely reviews. You're all pretty darn amazing :) Lou x**


	13. Double Trouble

_**Double Trouble**_

"Stu, leave." Stephen uttered, still holding on to Vivian in fear that she would bolt.

"I think you'll find this is a common area, Ste." Stu grinned, hands resting on his hips as he got a good look at Vivian.

He wanted to punch him.

"You told him about us?"

"Ah needed advice, is that so bad?" Stephen hadn't wanted to confess that, but the last thing he wanted was her leaving because of Stu's presence. Was even telling Stu about her that bad?

"Does he do this often? I mean, bring women backstage and..." Vivian spoke to Stu and tugged her arm free and gestured to the room.

"Make out with them?" Stu laughed then said, "it's frowned upon."

"But he does it?"

"Ah'm right here and no ah don'." Stephen had heard enough from Stu. He moved towards him, pushing him towards the door. "Yeh've said enough.

"Oh god, am I like a groupie?" Vivian clasped her hand over her mouth and the laughter that burst from Stu pushed Stephen over the edge.

"We prefer to call them ring rats." Stu uttered as he slipped out of the room with another laugh, and because he couldn't reach him to do any damage Stephen could only give him the middle finger.

"He's joking, lass." Stephen turned to Vivian, hoping she wouldn't think what Stu was saying was true.

"What did you tell him?" Vivian was frowning and rightly so. "Because he obviously thinks I'm just here for sex. Which I'm not."

"Ah told him what happened in Dublin, he's one of me best mates."

"So you don't do this often? I don't want to be one of many girls Stephen." Stephen heard the panic in her voice and the saw the pain in her eyes. She'd been hurt before and the fear of it happening again was stopping her from letting go. And he'd already hurt her once, he wasn't about to do it again.

"Listen to me, lass. Yeah no' one of many and ah've never done this before, ah don't invite women backstage unless it's family. Stu just likes to mess wit' me when he can."

"I'm so confused Stephen."

"Yeh and me both." Stephen scrubbed his hand over his face, wincing as a bolt of pain ran through his shoulder. He'd hit the ring post harder than he intended to. He couldn't continue this conversation all night. "Vivian, yeh need to understand something," Stephen framed her face with his hands, kissing her lightly on the lips. "Ah can't keep going around in circles wit' yeh. Ah know what ah did in Dublin was wrong, and ah've apologised for that."

Stephen waited a moment, making sure she understood him. She nodded as if to make him keep talking and he kissed her lips lightly again. "If yeh still can't forgive me, then ah guess this is going nowhere."

"I can, Stephen. I had forgiven you."

"Then what's the matter?"

"What happened in Dublin-"

"Was fun, and ah want to do that again. Ah'm no' goin' to lie and tell yeh ah didn't enjoy it."

"It was fun." Stephen was a little bit relieved when she finally uttered those words and cracked a smile. "But the way you wanted to leave things, I'm not used to that."

"Yeh willing to try for a real date tomorrow? We have another show here in the evening, ah can try and find a few hours in the day."

Stephen watched her look down, eyelids fluttering as she bit her lip. He brought his finger underneath her chin and made her look up at him.

Eventually she spoke up whilst nodding lightly. "Just tell me when and that's when I'll take my break."

He watched her lips curve into a smile, forced though, he could tell. "Ah can tell something's still wrong." Stephen prompted her to start talking and dropped his hands to his sides.

"I just...I feel like I'm out of your league." Vivian laughed nervously then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I mean, you're a celebrity."

Stephen was stunned into silence. Vivian's once confident front was crumbling again. Was he really the cause? He glanced around the bare room as the throbbing in his shoulder continued. "Hardly." Stephen managed to utter. He didn't see himself that way. He was just doing his job.

Vivian waved her hands in front of her and quickly said, "Forget I said anything."

"Ah'm not gon' forget anything." Stephen brought his lips to hers again. He liked a challenge. He liked that she didn't just roll over and not give a damn about her worth. He hated that he'd taken advantage of her, even though he thought they had both been on the same page in Dublin.

Slowly she moulded to his body, letting a little sigh out when he tilted his head to kiss her more fully. He settled one hand on her back, making sure she stayed pressed to him. Her hands had already snaked around his neck and she was standing on her tip toes. He realised he couldn't stop himself from kissing her.

Stephen pulled away then because he couldn't resist, he cupped her face and pressed another soft kiss to her lips. He could kiss her all day and not grow tired. Her hands were slowly making their way down his bare arms, pausing on his biceps a moment before sliding to his wrists. She couldn't wrap her small hands fully around them, but she still tried then tugged his hands away from her face.

What had he done now? Was kissing her too much? He sighed, waiting for an onslaught of reasons why it was too soon, or how she didn't trust him. Was she too much trouble? What if she couldn't get over a few mistakes he'd made - he certainly didn't have time to keep apologising. But then she surprised him, her hands holding onto his, squeezing lightly before letting go completely.

"Thank you for inviting me here. I really enjoyed the show, especially watching you." Vivian crossed her arms over her chest, seemingly putting some distance between them.

"Yeh welcome. Next time yeh taking those front row seats."

"Maybe."

"As long as yeh don't bring yeh brother." Or another man. Then it hit him again. Another pang of jealousy smacking him in the chest. He'd thought she had a boyfriend, and even though he knew she didn't, those feelings were still lingering. The thought of her with another man didn't sit well with him, but it wasn't his place to act like that. She wasn't his.

"Sheamus! You're needed for an interview." Stephen looked to the door, nodding as he saw one of the company's producers waiting impatiently for him. Everyone usually rushed around with a million things to do and rightly so. A pay per view event was a huge operation.

"Stay right here." Stephen uttered to Vivian, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. He didn't even think about it. It just happened like it was the most normal thing, like he did it every day.

"Are you sure? I can leave if you need me to."

"I won't be long." Stephen knew she'd be fine, interviews never took long anyway.

* * *

Glancing at her watch again, Vivian sighed. She'd been there for forty minutes. Waiting. He wouldn't have forgotten about her would he? What if someone had dragged him off somewhere else? What if he wouldn't be back for a while? She didn't want to be stuck alone any longer - surely there was someone who could help locate him. Then she'd be out of his way, leaving him to get on with his job.

She pulled her handbag up and over her head, then reached for the hem of the Sheamus shirt she'd been wearing for most of the night. Taking it off, she folded it up and slipped her bag on again. There was no time like the present. She made her way to the door, opening it slightly to take a peek out.

One short glance left, all clear. One quick glance right, Wade Barrett. Fuck. She didn't want to deal with him again.

"Vivian." The thick English accent boomed down the corridor and Vivian didn't hesitate to stumble back into the room and slam the door shut. She pressed onto it as if she could stand her ground against a two-hundred and sixty pound man.

Pulling her hand off the door handle as she felt it move, Vivian took a step back into the empty room. She prayed Stephen would just come back already. The door opened and Stu's head appeared around the door, a smirk gracing his face.

"Leaving were you?" Stu shut the door behind him, meandering across the room past her to the table set up with drinks. He grabbed a bottle of water

"I was going to try looking for Stephen." True, she was. But she somehow felt guilty under his stare.

"You'd get lost in this place, it's like a maze."

"I was going to ask someone if they knew where he was."

Stu opened his arms wide and nodded, "Well look at that, you found someone."

Vivian fought the urge to roll her eyes but played into his words anyway. "Stu, do you know where I can find Stephen?"

"No, but he isn't just going to leave you here." Stu paused and stared at her, as if he was trying to read her mind. Little did he know he was intimidating her, with his words and presence. Was he joking around with her? Maybe he was going to try and catch her out - give Stephen a reason not to be with him and- "he really likes you."

Vivian had let her mind go on a tirade again; she almost missed Stu's words.

"Okay." What the hell was she supposed to say? She gripped tighter onto the shirt in her hands, gaze darting across the room.

"His last girlfriend cheated on him, couldn't handle him being away so much." Stu blurted out like the information held no significance at all.

"I don't know if you should be telling me this." Vivian panicked. She didn't want to know this. It wasn't any of her business unless Stephen wanted to tell her of course. But he wasn't telling her, his friend was and she felt herself surrounded by tension.

"That's why he was reluctant to start anything with you, but I talked him round." There was a pause as he looked at her, a glint in his eye whilst a smirk crept to his face and then he drawled out the words, "You're welcome."

The door burst open, making Vivian jump. She looked towards it, expecting to see Stephen, but instead it was the long haired man he had been wrestling that evening. "Whoa, didn't know ye had a lady wit' ye." The thick Scottish accent was hard to understand but she got most of what he said. Then realising what he meant, she opened her mouth to defend herself but Stu beat her to it.

"She's Ste's lady, Drew." Vivian saw the grin on Stu's face. He was enjoying this.

"I'm not his lady."

"Ye're Vivian?" Drew came to stand beside Stu and just like his English friend then cast his gaze over her.

"That's me." Vivian smiled but she was crumbling inside. She should just stick a name tag on, parade the arena and get it over with. "I'm going to go now."

"Ye no' waiting for Stephen?"

"I..." Vivian was already walking around them towards the door when it opened. "Stephen!"

Without thinking Vivian hurtled towards Stephen, wrapping her arms around his middle and squeezing tight. She'd never been happier to see him. Well maybe apart from that time he'd turned up at her hotel room.

"What the hell have they done?"

"Nothing." They hadn't really, but she wasn't sure whether they were convinced she wasn't just looking for sex. If what Stu had implied was true anyway. Realising she was still glued to Stephen, she peeled herself off him then met his weary gaze. She noticed he'd returned wearing a shirt. "I was about to go looking for you."

"Took longer than ah expected, sorry lass." Vivian held her breath as Stephen looked over her at the two men that had made her so welcome.

"I'm going to leave, I'm just in your way now." Glancing over her shoulder, she locked eyes with both men who were smirking still then politely said, "it was lovely to meet you both."

Vivian neared the door feeling Stephen close beside her. "Yeh don' have to go."

"I have work tomorrow." Vivian turned around when she reached the hallway, fully aware that Stu and Drew were probably listening in.

"Yeh still up for that date?"

"Of course." She was looking forward to it, "What do you-crap."

"What?"

"Your jacket! It's in Wills car, I'm sorry it didn't cross my mind when we got here, we were so busy trying to get a parking space and-" Stephen kissed her hard and intense. It took her off guard and her whole body responded. But before she could register what was happening and kiss him back, he pulled away.

"Give me it tomorrow." He took her hand in his and began walking down the corridor with her. "Yeh have a lift home?"

"Yes." She lied, but she'd call for a cab once she was outside. Or maybe call her brother to come and pick her up, but then she'd have to deal with his questioning. "Thank you again, for the tickets."

"Anytime." Stephen started walking again, taking her to the exit. Her hand was still tucked into his, and even though she'd had another crazy moment, she was glad to be with him. She'd been given so many second chances she knew her luck would run out soon. Trusting Stephen would be the only way forward.

* * *

**A/N – Thank you boston246, ghunter182003, prettybaby69, ThatGirl54, housesbabe1, Blackhat, SoulSoother59, charmedbyortonbarrett, shakeitsalome, Sharona1981 and wolviegurl for the lovely reviews! Hope you're still enjoying the story :D! Lou x**


	14. Sweet Dreams

_**Sweet Dreams**_

_'I can't stop thinking about you.'_Vivian read the text message over and over again. It was out of the blue but she couldn't help but thank him for sending it first. Plucking up the courage to contact him first seemed a million miles away. She felt the same though, it was impossible not to think about him. With her fingers hovering over the keys on her phone, she contemplated just what to say back. She felt like a giddy school girl again, flustered over the smallest of gestures.

She stared at her phone, thinking over what to type back. She had a golden opportunity to sound composed and normal, unlike how she acted in his presence. _'You were amazing tonight - thank you again for inviting me.'_She wondered for a moment how to end the message, but opted for adding a simple 'x' before hitting send.

Sitting up from the bed, she continued to clutch onto her phone, the smile on her face growing the more she thought about Stephen. Glancing to the clock ticking away on the nightstand, she knew she had to sleep. The last thing she wanted was to look like a zombie in the morning and she knew she would. Lack of sleep didn't suit her.

As she stood up from the bed the phone in her hand rang, startling her as if it had never made a peep before. It dropped to the floor and skidded under the bed and well out of her sight.

"Damn it." Vivian huffed as she got to her knees, trying her best to fish the phone back from where it had ended up. The tips of her fingers brushed the edge of the phone as its piercing ring continued. Almost crawling under the bed, Vivian managed to scoot it forward and into her hand.

Looking at the caller she felt that nervous feeling wash over her. Still laid out on the floor, she answered the call and waited to hear his voice.

"Hello?" She didn't expect to sound so breathless but she had.

"No' interrupting am ah?" Even though he wasn't there, her cheeks flushed and she felt a wave of heat wash over her body.

"No, I was just about to get into bed." Vivian smiled to herself, "I'm assuming that's where you are?"

"In yeh bed? No' at the minute but ah wouldn't mind-"

"You know what I meant." Vivian blurted before Stephen could go on about being in her bed any more. She couldn't cope hearing more of that.

"Ah'm outside a pub actually." He laughed and Vivian had to sit down on the edge of the bed. Her hand gripped onto the sheets and she pressed the phone closer to her ear. "No' in the drinking kind o' mood though."

"What kind of mood are you in?" Vivian knew what kind of mood she was in. She pressed her thighs together and took a breath, waiting for his answer.

"Ah didn't get enough o' yeh tonight."

"Come over." The words flew out of Vivian's mouth before she could stop them. Damn her for not thinking before she spoke. Was she really doing this? Asking him to stay so she could torture herself more and more.

"Don't tempt me." Stephen sounded strained but once again he laughed.

Vivian wanted to tempt him. She wanted him next to her. She wanted to trace her hands over his hard body whilst he kissed her senseless. She knew what she wanted and she hated that she hadn't seen it earlier. Would she sound desperate if she asked him again? She could manipulate him, like she would a villain in court and make him realise he wanted to give her a visit.

"Stephen-"

"Fuck it, what's yeh address?"

Maybe she didn't have to do anything at all. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, unless yeh changing yeh're mind." She wasn't at all changing her mind. Before Stephen had the chance to change his, she reeled off her address to him.

Once she ended the call and carelessly dropped the phone to the bed, she glanced down at her attire. She wasn't wearing anything that would entice Stephen. The old New England jersey she had on only just covered the equally old cotton shorts. Rushing over to her closet, she eyed everything she could change into.

Just as she reached for something else to put on, she stopped herself. No. She was comfortable in what she was wearing. Or was she? She moved over to the chest of drawers and pulled the top drawer open. Rummaging around through the various styles of underwear and bras, some unworn and some worn more than should have been, she found a silky slip she could put on.

With a quick change into the less comfortable she was fastening her robe with a bow around her waist. Was it worth the effort? The buzz of the intercom made her jump. She wasn't a jumpy person and she sure as hell hadn't reacted like that to it before. Now she'd be finding out if it was worth it.

"Hello?"

"It's Stephen."

"Come on up." She let him in and just like that, she had the jitters again.

"Hey." She stepped aside to let him in. It felt strange to see him among her belongings and with his big size, her once modest home now looked like a studio apartment.

"Thanks for letting me come." She closed the door and turned her back on it, getting a good look at Stephen. Jeans, t-shirt and baseball cap – she'd never known any man make such a simple combination look so sexy. Clamping her mouth shut so she wouldn't say what was on her mind.

It had never been this awkward between them - apart from that one time she'd stormed out of his hotel room.

"So… were the Irish bars not up to your standards?"

"The pub was fine." Stephen stepped over to her, took hold of her hand and pulled her into his chest. The tension disappeared as quickly as it came. "It was the company that wasn't up to par."

"Let me guess, those two lovely gentlemen I was hounded by earlier?"

Stephen leaned in and she held her breath. He left the softest of kisses along her cheek before he said, "Yeh got it in one."

The small entrance of her apartment boasted a closet and an end table for her keys and phone. Even with the eggshell white walls, bright light suspending from the ceiling and the carved antique mirror that her grandmother left her, she couldn't make it appear any bigger than it was.

"Come on through. Do you want a drink? I would offer you beer, but I don't have any. Well, unless I know my dad is visiting because I know he'll drink it, but it's that Samuel Adams stuff and I don't think you'd like that anyway."

"Ah didn't come 'ere to drink."

Vivian stopped in the middle of the living room that also joined onto the kitchen and dining area. She had been heading towards the fridge but she turned to face Stephen when she said, "Then come and sit down."

Taking his hand in hers, she moved over to the two seater couch and precariously perched on the edge. Still unsure of herself, she let go of his hand as he sat next to her.

"Is this what you had in mind?" Vivian asked from the other end of the couch. There was distance between them, but all she had to do was reach over, or maybe lean across. Instead she bit her lip and waited patiently for his response.

The smirk on Stephens lips told her way more than he ever could. But hearing the words with his smooth accent wouldn't do her any harm. "No' exactly, yeh were wearing a lot less in me mind."

Glancing down at her robe, mainly to hide the smirk now on her face, she thought about what she had on underneath. She could take it off and they'd repeat exactly what they did in Ireland - she knew that for sure. This time things would be different. But the lingerie was a just in case scenario. With Stephen she wouldn't at all be surprised if he took her off guard again.

"I hope you're not disappointed."

With a laugh he reached over for her then pulled her across the couch. Of course, surprised by his actions, she yelped and fell onto him. Before she planted her elbow in his crotch he caught her and she was safely nestled in his side.

"Much better."

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you again today."

"Yeh no'" Confused, Vivian frowned but squeezed Stephens thigh so he would expand on his comment. He nodded towards the clock in the kitchen. "It's mornin'"

"Yeah, by fifteen minutes."

"Ah'm still right."

Vivian tucked herself under Stephens arm and into his side, the weight of him comforting more than anything. His warmth and smell surrounded her and she closed her eyes, feeling unbelievably at ease.

"Yeh falling asleep on me?"

"Yes." Vivian mumbled, cracking one eye open to see him staring at her. "You're just so comfy."

She started stroking her fingers across his belly, only stopping when Stephen laid his hand on top of hers. He lifted her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss against her soft skin. He settled her hand back on his belly and she smiled into his chest. Opening her eyes, she looked up to him - he was still staring down at her, but now he looked consumed in thought. Bad thoughts? Vivian wondered and bit her lip, trying not to ponder but it was impossible.

"Are you okay? You don't have to leave soon do you?"

"No' yet." His fingers stroked over her hand and he dipped his head to press a soft kiss to her cheek. Vivian let her eyes drift shut again. The feeling of security was overwhelming, and for the first time with Stephen she relaxed without worrying what he was thinking. "Yeh still jus' want me to hold yeh?"

Vivian smiled only just now realising how much she missed the company of a man. A man who would make her feel safe and secure. Never in her wildest dreams did she picture that man to be Stephen, but there he was – and it wasn't all that bad.

* * *

Stephen tightened his arms around Vivian, smiling as she sighed and rubbed her cheek against his chest. She'd been asleep for at least half an hour and even though he needed to get back soon, he couldn't bring himself to wake her up.

He pressed his lips against her forehead, causing her to mumble something incoherent. She'd hooked one of her shapely legs over his, the robe slipping to one side revealing her silky smooth skin. Unable to resist, he clasped his hand around the back of the thigh then kissed her cheek again.

She stirred and then bolted up as if someone has struck her with a stun gun. Accusatory eyes stared at him before they softened. He wondered what she was thinking, what she feared they had done.

"Will you stay?" Vivian asked, big eyes staring up at him. She looked hopeful. "Please?"

It wasn't what he was expecting her to say. He ran things over in his mind, he could go back to the hotel first thing, it wasn't like he was sharing a room with anyone. "Ah'll have to leave early."

"I can drive you back?"

"Yeh sure?" He didn't want to impose but he did want to have her in his arms all night.

"Please." Vivian wrapped her arms tighter around his torso and he couldn't resist.

"If yeh don' mind me being here." Stephen kissed her neck, grinning as he heard her take in a sharp breath.

"I like you being here."

"Ah'll take up all the space in yeh bed." That was true, but the thought of having her body draped over his was a pleasant one.

"I don't mind." He felt her fingers across his back, eventually stopping when he kissed her on the lips.

"Lead the way then."

She did. She didn't hesitate to take his arm and lead him back the way they had first come and now he was stood in the middle of her bedroom alone, he felt more than out of place. The room, even though free from flowers and frills, was feminine and very much Vivian. Whilst waiting for her to come back from the bathroom, he took a look around, spotting a few pictures settled on the chest of drawers he decided to have a look. He smiled at the picture of Vivian and her brother, his arm slung over her shoulder just like he'd done at the arena. Moving onto the next picture, Vivian had her arms wrapped around the torso of a man, both smiling happily in what looked to be the booth of a restaurant. He wondered, but before he could come to any conclusions, he caught the movement of Vivian out of the corner of his eye.

Taking a second glance, he eyed her up and down. She'd changed. Long gone was the robe, replaced with a shimmering grey silk slip. The lace trimmed edge brushed against her thighs as she neared him.

"Do yeh really jus' want to sleep?" He had to ask. She was tempting him, or was she just doing it to torture him? Payback perhaps.

She nodded at him, hands smoothing down the front of the slip, drawing his attention down her body again. What a tease, and he was sure of it when she softly uttered the words, "I hope that's not a problem."

"No' at all." He managed to croak those words out as she walked over to him.

"This needs to come off." Her hands trailed the hem of his shirt and he just stood there, letting her undress him. He should have taken control, kissed her senseless until she gave in but he didn't. He stood there like she'd sucked all of his power, unable to do anything but watch. Lifting his arms up, she pulled up his shirt and tried to take it off him.

"Ah don' think yeh tall enough lass." He noted the determined look in her eyes but helped her with the shirt anyway. Then her lips were on his chest. Soft, warm and he sure as hell didn't want her to stop. Her arms slipped around his waist and she pushed herself against him.

"You have an amazing body, Stephen."

"Yeh still sure yeh only want to sleep?" Vivian had the audacity to laugh at his question, but she looked up at him, eyes telling a different story to the one she'd voiced only moments ago.

"I think so." Her kisses stopped for a moment as she looked up to him.

"Yeh think so?" He shook his head. That wouldn't do. "Ah need a more definite answer."

Brushing his fingers over her bare shoulders, he stared at her lips curving into a smile. A sweet smile but he still didn't see it reflected her actions. She kissed his chest again and he had to push her away from him. She took one step back, not at all offended by his actions as she turned to the bed. "Sleep it is. I know you must be tired after that gruelling match ."

Tired, yes. Horny, yes. The two battled in his mind but finally the latter won as she bent over the bed to pull the sheets back. The slip moved upwards revealing a pair of matching lace panties. Crossing his arms over his chest to stop himself from reaching out, he watched her crawl into the wide empty bed. She plumped the pillows a few times then glanced over at him. There was no point in pretending like he hadn't been staring.

"Don't tell me you're going to sleep on the couch?" Her joking tone made him smile. She let out a soft sigh then patted the mattress. "It's cold so hurry up."

"Ah can tell." With a grin he moved over to the bed and it sunk a little as he sat down on the edge. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see Vivian with a shocked look on her face as she stared down at her breasts. "Yeh wear something like that and expect me not to look?"

"No, I just-"

Kissing her would shut her up for now. He held the back of her neck as his lips brushed over hers. His hand roamed her body, thumb tracing over her hard nipple over the silky slip. He squeezed gently and heard her moan, her hands holding onto his shoulders whilst she gladly kissed him back. Breaking the kiss he slipped his arm around her waist and tucked her close into his side. He wanted to give her what she wanted in Ireland. "Goodnight."

He waited, expected her to say something back but instead she let out a sigh which fanned her hot breath against his chest and then she tightened her arm around him. He'd given her what she wanted - twice in one night she'd fallen asleep in his arms.

* * *

**A/N – Thank you cenachick1981, housesbabe1, Sharona1981, ThatGirl54, cmjrwalker, Blackhat, shakeitsalome, wolviegurl charmedbyortonbarrett, prettybaby69, SoulSoother59, Sekhmet49, mia, anesha and xthefirestillburns (x2 thank you :D) for the lovely reviews! Sorry for the long wait, hope it was worth it :) Lou x  
**


	15. A Turn For The Worse

_**A Turn For The Worse**_

It was different but a good different. Better than she could ever remember it being. Waiting for a moment before she prised her sleepy eyes open, she let herself lie there, enjoying the feeling of the rise and fall of Stephens chest. It was soft and rhythmic and from what she could tell, he was still asleep.

"Mornin'"

Or not. She looked up to see Stephen with a smile on his face then she glanced at the clock ticking away on her bedside table. How the hell did he still manage to look so sexy at 5am?

"Morn-" her voice croaked and she tried to shield her face as she cleared her throat. "Morning, it's so early."

Too early. Still dark outside early.

"Ah set me phone alarm but it didn't wake yeh." Stephen tucked her hair behind her ear then stroked his thumb across her shoulder. "Yeh were out like a light."

Vivian still had her arm draped across Stephens abdomen with no clue how she'd managed to stay in that position all night. Usually she would toss and turn until she found a comfy spot. She moved her hand, feeling the grooves of his defined muscles as she went. It was exquisite to be able to have her hands on such a fine male specimen.

Eventually she pulled the duvet down a little and then felt Stephen tugging at the strap of her slip. "Ah think yeh have some adjusting to do."

Adjusting? What the hell did that mean? Stephens gaze dipped to her chest and Vivian's followed.

"Oh!" Sleeping in the silky slip had caused it to move in the night. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her naked before, but the embarrassment was still there.

"Don' be shy." Stephen kissed her neck, then her shoulder and then lower to her breast. "Yeh beautiful."

"This is one pretty amazing wake up call." Vivian grinned, all embarrassment gone as Stephen continued to kiss his way across her chest.

Stephens hands were working their way under the covers, landing on her thigh then waist. "Yeh so warm and soft, ah could do this all day." His hands roamed, burning her skin as he went. She was flushed and very quickly he was stealing her composure. She'd be left defenceless and that was a very dangerous thing.

"Ah wish ah didn't have to get back to the hotel." From defenceless to disappointed, Vivian felt those words like a shot to the gut. Brought back down to reality quicker than a popped balloon, she pushed herself away from him trying to get some distance.

"Coffee?"

"No for me."

"I need about a pint." Vivian mumbled as her eyes caught sight of the clock again and in her mind she groaned.

"Yeh no used to getting up this early? Ah'm surprised." There was humour in his voice and his hand had settled on her back, thick fingers stroking up and down her spine. It made her shiver and sigh all at the same time.

"Only when I was at college trying to rush an essay that I may have left a little too late to finish." Reaching up, Vivian tried to sort out Stephens messy hair. She ran her fingers through it, soft now free from gel. "You look tired."

His eyes were somehow still bright but faint dark circles under his eyes told the tale of too little sleep, but he still smiled as he said, "Ah am."

"You must really love your job"

"More than anything." His hand stopped stroking her back but instead pulled her to him. Once again she rested her head on his bare chest, the steady beating of his heart and his soft breathing the only thing she could hear.

More than what? His family? His friends? A girlfriend? Maybe that was why he was single - no one could hold a candle to his precious job. No one possessed his kryptonite.

"Ah cherish what ah worked hard to get."

Vivian smiled, remembering the story he'd so kindly shared with her about his journey to where he was today. It was endearing and inspiring at the same time.

"I can understand that."

Stephen pulled the duvet down to his waist - the heat from the bed was instantly sucked away and Vivian tucked herself closer into his side.

"Now that's just cruel." Vivian's groan was muffled into Stephens chest, soon followed by a shriek as he was sitting up and lifting her out of the bed. "What are you doing?"

"Getting me arse to the gym." It was as if he'd had ten hours of blissful uninterrupted sleep.

Even though her eyes were still heavy with sleep, Vivian couldn't help but get swept away with Stephen quite literally. She kissed him on his cheek before he set her down at the foot of the bed. Now she was fully aware of his lack of clothing, she tried to focus on his eyes.

"Are you sure I can't get you a coffee, or something to eat?"

Stephen grinned and Vivian felt heat rush to her cheeks. Slowly he shook his head but his gaze swept across her body. "If ah had time ah would, but ah wouldn't mind when ah see yeh for lunch."

Vivian reluctantly stepped away from Stephen and smiled before she said, "Perfect."

Needing to get out of the room before she started something she shouldn't, she hurried through to the kitchen and went about her normal routine. Coffee, coffee, coffee. It was the only thing that would quickly wake her up and give her the energy to drive Stephen back to his hotel. Leaning against the counter, Vivian finally let herself realise what had happened. That feeling of security and closeness that Stephen provided was overwhelming. Just having him in her apartment made her want more, perhaps a little too much more for the time she'd known him. Brushing a hand through her dishevelled hair, she grabbed the steaming pot of coffee and poured a generous amount into her favourite red Stanford law school mug.

Gently she blew onto the hot liquid, hoping to cool it down enough so she could take a sip and feel more awake. Tightly she held her hands around the mug, the warmth seeping into her skin and slowly warming her up. Without knowing it, she was listening for his movements, wondering what was he was doing. She heard the toilet flush and then the faucet run. It was strange having someone other than her dad and brother in the house – usually she didn't invite men over. Her house was her zone, somewhere she could escape to.

A few minutes later, and after several needed gulps of coffee, Stephen appeared in the kitchen. His jeans were back on but his shirt was in his hand still.

"You look good." Vivian blurted out but for once she didn't feel too embarrassed about it. Her embarrassment meter had been maxed out for the morning.

"So do you." He set his shirt down on the side of the counter, slowly moving towards her as he spoke.

Knowing her track record, she set her coffee down before she spilled it over his bare chest. "I look a mess."

Stephen was right there and Vivian didn't resist getting her hands on him. They rested on his waist, fingers gently smoothing over the soft skin. Shaking his head at her words, Stephen kissed along her throat and mumbled, "Ah've seen yeh every which way, yeh still beautiful."

"Every which way?" Vivian quirked an eyebrow and held onto Stephens waist, letting him do whatever he wanted to her.

"First thing in the morning," Another kiss to her neck and a shiver of pleasure rushed through her. "Drunk."

"That was your fault." Stephen laughed but pulled her closer into his body, his lips not moving further than an inch away from her neck.

"Ah've seen yeh mad," another kiss, "Which ah'm still sorry about."

"It's forgotten." It was. Another kiss. Everything was forgotten. She was struggling to remember her own name.

Stephen pulled back and their eyes locked. His hands moved from her back up over her waist, finally stopping at her shoulders. He brought one hand to the back of her neck and leant forward. He shoulder have kissed her, she wanted him to kiss her. Instead, he stared into her eyes his deep voice rumbled, "And ah've seen yeh at the height of ecstasy."

Lips parted in shock and surprise, Vivian's whole body responded. On tip toes she separated the distance between them. The kiss was short and sweet, but it was enough to send her heart racing.

"I'll go get dressed so I can take you back." She grabbed her mug, intent on finishing it before she left, "Make yourself at home."

Knowing she was once again tumbling into a frenzied state thanks to the shirtless man in her kitchen, she knew she needed to compose herself. Not rushing things for the second time was hard. Incredibly hard. Just like the man she was trying to keep her hands off.

* * *

The journey to the hotel was silent, just like the empty streets. Vivian glanced over every now and then, but Stephen had his focus anywhere but her.

"Do you have a room to yourself here?" Vivian asked, bravely speaking into the horrible silence.

"Thinking about comin' in wit' me?"

Vivian quickly looked over, hands tightening on the steering wheel. He was finally looking at her and smiling. "Is that even an option?"

"Ah wish." Stephen laughed just as she clocked sight of the front of the hotel. A couple of people were milling around the front and she instantly knew they were wrestlers. There was no way they couldn't be – just like Stephen they were huge.

"Who are they?"

"Looks like Alberto and Drew."

"Oh." Vivian pulled the car to a stop outside of the hotel, instantly getting the attention of the men, "So you all wake up this early then?"

"Gym, training, media, interviews." Stephen reeled each the list off, obviously to him they were normal everyday things, "the life of a superstar."

"Well…this is your stop."

"Thank yeh."

"I really enjoyed last night." She was embarrassed. They were probably talking about her, no doubt gossiping about what they had been up to. Stephen leaned over to kiss her goodbye. Startled she turned her head so his lips crashed with her cheek.

"That's all ah get?" He murmured against her ear and his hand clasped her thigh.

"Your friends are watching."

"That bothers yeh?" Stephens lips skimmed across her cheek before they found her lips. Her heart clenched and she reached for his shoulder, but before she knew it Stephens hands were roaming her body. One sneaky hand slipped under her t-shirt and she yelped in at the cold shock. Her elbow flew and hit the horn on the steering wheel.

"If they weren't looking before I think they are now." Stephen kissed her cheek but his hand was still on her waist, stroking her skin under her shirt.

"Get out." Stephen laughed and Vivian couldn't hide the blush that swept over her.

"Ah've got some media things to do this morning, but ah'll call yeh later and we'll meet up for lunch?" Stephen asked her like she'd been planning on changing her mind. She hadn't.

"Yeah that's fine." The words were just above a whisper. He was that close there was no need to speak any louder, "I'm looking forward to it."

"Have a good mornin'." Stephen kissed her cheek then said, "Ah really like yeh, Vivian." He opened the door, casting a glance back at her with a smile.

"You too." Vivian managed to croak out, not exactly sure what she was saying 'you too' to. It must have been both. She wanted him to have a good morning and she liked him a lot. More than she wanted to this soon.

Once the door slammed shut, her foot was on the gas; she didn't want to linger around. That didn't mean she couldn't steal a look in the rear-view mirror. Low and behold he watched her drive away. She smiled to herself as she continued to drive away from the hotel and towards her favourite coffee shop before she headed back home.

Stopping at a traffic light, Vivian put the radio on and drummed her fingers against the steering wheel. The low morning sun was bright and intense - and as the guy on the radio just said - it was going to be a lovely day.

Unable to get the smile off her face, Vivian decided to stop trying to fight it. A loud rumble creeped from her stomach and the first pangs of hunger hit. Maybe another coffee wasn't the only thing she'd be getting. The traffic lights switched to green and she was off, thoughts mainly consumed with breakfast and Stephen.

Suddenly she remembered Stephens sweatshirt that was at her brother's house. She had a key and even though it was early she could swing by and pick it up. Making a detour, she was soon heading towards the other side of town. Familiar shops flashed past and she knew the sweet shop her mom used to bring her to was down here. She slowed down a little as she passed, letting the memories take over. But as soon as those memories came, they quickly went, replaced with a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Now not only the driver on the road, her gaze darted back in front and a black van was headed straight for her. She wanted to scream but nothing would come out. Instinctively she swerved but it wasn't enough. The van clipped the car making it jerk around, skidding across both lanes. The smell of burning tyres engulfed the car, toxic fumes filing the air. After the crush of metal against metal, darkness followed then the pain.

The city had never sounded so quiet.

* * *

**A/N – Thank you boston246, ThatGirl54, cenachick1981, wolviegurl, housesbabe1, charmedbyortonbarrett, Blackhat, SoulSoother59, shakeitsalome, Lilimiia and prettybaby69 for the awesome reviews. You know I love a good cliff-hanger ;) but I promise I won't leave it as long to update! Lou x**


	16. Remember Me?

_**Remember Me?**_

Sweat dripped, muscles burned and ached with each forced movement. Gritted teeth and a grunt, finally his arms straightened and the bar hit the stand with a clang. His forearm swept over his forehead, damp perspiration clinging to him even in the air conditioned gym. It was his haven, a place to zone out and focus. Maybe even take out his anger if his day had been bad, but his day was only just beginning – it was almost time for Raw . He thought back to the morning he'd had, waking up with Vivian didn't bring out any complaints, nor did the lack of sex which made a change for them.

"Another workout? You're going to give yourself an injury."

Looking upwards, Stephen stretched his arms over his head then Stu appeared in his line of sight. "Ah'll be just fine."

"Something happened?"

Stephen shook his head. There was no way he was about to share that he'd been stood up. Truth be told, he felt like a fool. Sitting up on the bench, sweat dripped from his forehead again and he took a deep breath. He knew he didn't have long before he had to leave for the arena, but that workout felt good. Having left his phone in his hotel room, he'd removed the urge to look at it every few minutes in hope.

"How did your date go?"

"What date?" He knew acting oblivious wouldn't get himself anywhere in the long run, but that still didn't stop him. He didn't want Stu to mention Vivian but most of all he didn't want to talk about her.

"I thought you were meeting Vivian? You went on about it last night, mate. Before you disappeared."

"Ah..." Stephen stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. Why the hell did he have such a hard time telling Stu what happened.

"Oh man, she stood you up?"

Stephen suddenly remembered why with a roll of his eyes.

Laughter bellowed from Stu's chest, filling the gym and making people look towards them. "Got what she wanted last night I see."

Stephen frowned, knowing exactly what he was insinuating. Usually he would join in on the banter, but he didn't have the time or energy to humour his friend.

"Oi!" Both men turned to the entrance off the gym, a restless looking member of the crew directing his gaze at them, "The coach is leaving in thirty minutes!"

Stephen let out another deep breath, his muscles feeling the brunt of the workout. Maybe he'd overdone it, especially with the show tonight but it felt good. "Ah'm going to grab me stuff."

Frustration taking over, Stephen left his friend in the gym and headed up to his room to gather the things he'd need for the show. It wasn't much, and they'd be leaving bright an early the next morning so his things were already packed. He glanced down at his phone once he reached his room, once more wondering why Vivian had all of a sudden disappeared. No call. No text. Nothing. He needed to put it at the back of his mind. Maybe even forget about it altogether.

* * *

Vivian glanced at her brother, then back at the doctor. Her neck throbbed, along with her back and most of her body. The pain killers were working wonders however, in the past ten minutes she started to feel normal again.

"I know you don't want to wear it, but the neck brace is going to ensure you don't do any more damage."

That was an understatement. She felt like a clown, but she wasn't about to complain. She'd seen the state of her car - now attached to a street lamp - and knew she'd been lucky. She nodded at the doctor, trying to avoid eye contact. She'd asked if she could leave numerous times but had gotten the same response every time.

"It brings out the sparkle in your eyes." Will grinned, just out of reach from Vivian. Once the full effect of the pain killers kicked in, she'd punch him.

"I've made you an appointment to get your stitches out and a general check-up." He clutched onto his clipboard after casting a wary glance at Will.

The bandage wrapped around her forearm covered the gash from the shattered glass that had exploded with the impact. Vivian stroked her finger across the bandage before giving the doctor a smile then said, "Thank you."

It was strange, she was glad Will was by her side, but there was someone missing. Glancing to will as they left the room, she smiled to herself. She could always count on him, even if he did try to make her life miserable on occasions. "Where's dad?" Vivian asked quietly as Will led her down the corridor towards the entrance of the hospital so she could finish signing insurance papers.

"At home - once I knew you were fine I insisted I come here and he said stop by your place when you feel up to it."

Vivian nodded, not at all knowing what to say. It was getting late but she knew she had something to do. When Will had pulled out her smashed phone earlier, her heart sunk. How could one day start out so perfect and end up like this? The thought brought a twinge of guilt, she knew she could have been dead and a smashed phone was the worst of her worries. But it was her connection to Stephen. Her only connection to him.

"I don't want to go home." Vivian blurted out once all of the necessary paperwork was filled in and she was ready to go, but she chewed on her lip nervously. "I need to let Stephen know I'm okay. Maybe if I go to the arena I can find him"?

"You're kidding me right?" Will slung his arm over her shoulder and she winced, "Sorry. Look, there's going to be thousands of people there and you don't even have a ticket. Tomorrow you can get your phone fixed."

"That's if they can fix it and he'll be gone by then! I don't want him to think I stood him up." Vivian let out a frustrated sigh, "It's like we're always chasing each other down."

"Isn't that usually the fun part?" Vivian rolled her eyes at her brother as they stepped outside into the fresh air. It was nice to be outside and away from the smells and noises of the hospital. She had so much to do. Check in at work, get her car sorted – although it was probably write-off – and someone get her phone working. They strolled across the parking lot, Will leading the way to wherever he had parked his car.

"I was coming to see you when I crashed."

"Me? Why?"

Vivian shook her head feeling utterly stupid. Everything she was doing revolved around Stephen, a man she hardly knew, yet had impacted her life so much. "I wanted to get Stephens sweatshirt, I forgot about it last night."

Vivian hadn't even realised they'd stopped in front of the metallic blue sedan, but Will already had the passenger door open. Vivian just stood there, watching as he moved to the back opening the door and pulling out the sweatshirt she'd slung across the back seat the previous night. "Better stick it on so you don't forget it when we're at the arena."

Stunned, Vivian wrapped her arms around her brothers neck regretting it instantly but she needed to hug him. "Thank you."

"He must be something special," Will helped her into the sweatshirt then held his hand out so she could get into the car without hurting her neck. He leaned in just as she snapped in her belt buckle. "I've never seen you like this before."

Will slammed the door shut and Vivian just stared out of window. So it was that obvious? The rumble and spit of the engine kicking in and the radio were almost loud enough to stop her thoughts consuming her mind. Suddenly her whole body felt weak, anxiousness bubbling away.

"If this were any other guy, you wouldn't be chasing him like this." Will turned the radio off, opting to talk instead.

"You might be right."

Will laughed then said, "Care to explain why?"

"Do we have to analyse this right now?" Eyes glued on the road ahead, she felt her heart clench at every turn. She hadn't expected to be nervous about being back in a car, she honestly hadn't thought about it so she decided to talk, just to take her mind off it. "He's fun to be around."

Looking over at Will, she watched the smile spread on his face, knowing he was getting ready to make fun of her. Instead he surprised her and said, "That's all?"

"I don't really want to discuss the rest with you, you're my brother."

"Alright I get it."

Silence now filling the car, Vivian pulled down the visor, using the mirror to check the cuts on her face. She had a couple of stitches in a cut above her eyebrow, but the rest of the cuts were just superficial. Dark circles framed her eyes - she looked rough to say the least. Pushing the visor back into place, she caught sight of the arena in the distance. She'd assumed Stephen would be here already, but what if he wasn't?

"Want me to come with you?" Will asked as he parked the car. They seemed to arrive quicker than she anticipated, suddenly wanting more time to go over what she would say to him. That was if she even found him.

Vivian had no clue what she was going to do. Mulling his question over for a moment, she eventually nodded, hand braced on the door handle ready to get out. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Vivian opened the door, feet planting on the concrete of the massive parking lot. She didn't want Will to answer with one of his usual comments. What if Stephen did see her and he ignored her? Could she even handle it if he didn't want to see her? God she was driving herself mad.

They crossed the parking lot, Vivian hugging the sweatshirt tightly around herself. "Last night, I left around the back so maybe I could go around there." Will nodded and remained silent. Obviously she was going to do as she pleased, but it was nice to have him there. Noting the huge gates and security, Vivian suddenly felt ridiculous. This wasn't her best plan but at the same time it was her only plan. A security man behind the gates clocked onto her, behind him she could see huge trucks and coaches, people milling about.

She remembered what her mother told her; _it doesn't hurt to ask_.

"This is going to sound crazy." Vivian laughed nervously, taking a quick peek behind her at Will before turning to the security man. "I'm here to see Stephen, his ring name is Sheamus." Bumbling through the lines she had rehearsed in her head, Vivian gave her most friendly smile. "If you could tell him Vivian is here, I would be ever so grateful."

"The neck brace is a nice touch." The man chuckled, rubbing his hands together as if this were a performance he couldn't get enough of.

Should she have been surprised? Maybe she'd built her hopes up too much during the ride over. Her smile instantly fell. "What? No, I was in a car accident this morning."

His laugh grew louder and Vivian felt her heart sink. She glanced around her, now only noticing fans with various signs and merchandise. Were they all just waiting to catch a glimpse of their favourite wrestler? "It's been done before sweetheart, now if you want to see Sheamus, you're going to have to buy a ticket and watch the show."

"I'm not lying." Vivian clutched her hands around the bars of the gate. She still had cuts on her face, surely he didn't think anyone would go as far as to pretend to be hurt?

"She isn't lying." Will chirped in from behind her, doing the minimal to help with the situation.

"I would call him but my phone was damaged in the accident."

"Of course it was." The sarcasm made Vivian take a deep breath. She had come with so much optimism but now she'd had the wind blown right out of her sails. All she wanted to do was apologise and then explain. "This isn't fair." Vivian muttered, more to herself than anyone.

Then she saw him, hopping off a huge truck with the WWE logo plastered on the side. Not Stephen but the next best thing. One of his friends – surely he'd remember her after last night?

"Stu!" Vivian yelled, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment as those around her turned to stare. Some muttered things and others laughed. He turned around, other fans now shouting Wade at him, wanting autographs and pictures. He looked directly at her, eyes narrowing then his lips pulled into a frown. Stepping back from the gates, she suddenly wished she was elsewhere. Stu dropped his head, shaking it as if he were disgusted with something.

"Will, I'm not feeling too good." Vivian turned around, taking a few steps away from the gate, "Can you take me home."

"You sure?"

Vivian nodded, not at all trusting herself to speak. Disappointment flowed through her and the throbbing in her neck suddenly only becoming apparent, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. She daren't glance over her shoulder, so she continued to look forward, walking back to the car with Will's hand on her shoulder. Suddenly she felt exhausted, the excitement at even the prospect of seeing Stephen again had carried her through the day, now all she wanted to do was curl up in bed and that was exactly what she was going to do. She'd sleep the pain away.

* * *

**A/N – Thank you XmarX, Blackhat, boston246, housesbabe1, SoulSoother59, ghunter182003, ThatGirl54, charmedbyortonbarrett, Toni-P-Lewis, BethWatson05, shakeitsalome, prettybaby69 and mrs.a87 for the wonderful reviews – they honestly keep me writing (even if I am a little slow to update!) Lou :) x**


	17. Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

_**Should I Stay Or Should I Go?**_

It was a familiar routine, sat on a chair leaning over to lace his boots up. He was surrounded by colleagues and friends but had managed to find a quiet corner to sit in. The afternoon had dragged, even though it had been filled with meetings and greetings with a few selected fans.

"Stephen, mate. You'll never guess who I just saw out back."

His quiet corner no longer quiet, Stephen simply asked, "Who?"

"Vivian."

That gained his interest, but before got a head of himself, he remembered who he was talking to. Stu liked to toy with him when he could, and right now he was primed with ammo. "Yeh fucking wit' me."

"She was with some guy talking to security." With no care of his personal space, Stu pulled a chair up beside him and slumped down onto it.

"This yeh idea of a joke?"

"I came straight here to tell you." Stephen shook his head. He wasn't falling for it. "She looked a little banged up, from what I could see she had some kind of neck brace on."

"What?" Concern overrode anything else. He looked up to Stu, willing him to spill the truth.

"It was definitely her, man."

Stephen just stared at Stu, unsure whether he was pulling his leg or not. He didn't think he would be sick enough to joke about her being hurt. He also didn't think she'd stand him up, but that did happen. Pulling hard on the laces of his boots, he finished tying them up before standing up straight. There was no question he was going to see if she was still there, he just didn't want Stu too see his eagerness.

"If you dawdle any longer she'll be well and truly gone." Stu muttered, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.

Grabbing his sweatshirt, Stephen didn't say anything. He slipped the jacket on and made his way out of the locker room. He couldn't remember the last time he'd put in this much effort for a woman. It wasn't that he didn't want to and it didn't mean he was selfish, he just hadn't found anyone that merited taking up his rare down time.

Not realising how quick he was walking, Stephen found himself outside in no time. A maze of trucks and vehicles were in his way now, but he didn't mind, he wanted something to hide behind. Crew that were milling around cast him strange looks. Some said hello, some just passed him by.

He honestly wasn't paying any one else any attention.

Seeing the entrance to the back of the arena, Stephen slowed down. He could see fans waiting, trying to catch a glimpse before the show had even started. As much as he loved his fans, he didn't have the time to be seen. He scanned the crowd, trying to pick out Vivian's face.

He couldn't see her. Without knowing, he had shuffled a couple of feet further.

"What you doing out here?"

Stephen jumped at the voice that was followed by a firm slap on his back. Turning, he came eye to eye with Paul Levesque. Mentor and a friend, he wondered whether to tell him the truth.

"Just getting some fresh air." Stephen uttered, tucking one hand into the pocket of his shorts. He noted the papers in Paul's hand then and then the production truck he assumed he'd appeared from.

"There's been some changes to the show." Paul had his hand on his shoulder, steering him right back from where he'd just come from.

Quickly Stephen looked over his shoulder, trying to get another look. He cursed in his mind as the truck started to block his path.

"Stephen, you listening to me?"

"Yeah, yeah." Stephen glanced to Paul, nodding in hopes that he hadn't missed anything important. "Sorry ah just-"

"You're looking for someone?"

Stephen shook his head; he was focused on work and nothing else. "A friend, but ah can see her after the show."

Back inside the building, Stephen followed Paul down the corridor. "Just a friend?"

He should have known the man was going to be worse than Stu. A simple "Yeah" would suffice.

"The same friend you stayed with last night?"

Almost stopping in his tracks, Stephen ran a hand through his un-spiked hair. He'd forgotten to put a baseball cap on. "Who told yeh that?"

"Who do you think? But I can read you like a book." Paul laughed, "C'mon, who is she?"

"Ah'll tell yeh once ah get some answers tonight." Stephen had made his mind up. With no clue of when he'd be able to come back to Boston to see her, he didn't have a choice. He couldn't get her off his mind and he wouldn't rest until he found out what he needed to.

* * *

Hovering in the entrance way of Vivian's apartment, Stephen stared at the buzzer for her flat for a good minute or so. Maybe this was a step too far? Turning up at her place unannounced at almost midnight. If it was a movie it would be romantic and she'd fall hopelessly in love with him. But it wasn't and he had a feeling she'd be pissed if he woke her up. Glancing at his watch he groaned, he had just over 4 hours before he'd have to leave for the airport. Almost leaping forward he pushed the buzzer, the shrill noise seeming incredibly loud in the silence of the night.

Foot scuffing the floor with impatience, Stephen suddenly froze when the door clicked open. It wasn't often he hesitated, but in this instance his feet were stuck to the floor. He hadn't thought about what he might say, he just wanted to see her. His earlier feelings of anger were long forgotten as he stepped forward and pushed the heavy door open. He took the stairs up to the first floor, and with each step, whatever he wanted to say wouldn't flourish in his mind.

So she was awake, and with the speed she'd buzzed him up, he guessed he hadn't woken her up. That settled his nerves. Laughing at himself, Stephen continued to be amazed that she made him nervous.

With a deep breath, he lightly banged his fist against the door two times. He scrubbed his hand over his face, the days' events were catching up with him. He knew there were dark circles under his eyes and he still had a scratch across his nose from his match. Still deep in his thoughts and after what seemed like an eternity, the door opened.

"Sheamus." Will was quick to greet him, "Took you long enough, you were hanging around down there for ages."

"Stephen." He corrected, coming face to face with Vivian's brother wasn't what he expected. The anger he felt earlier was beginning to surface, fuelled by confusion. "Where's Vivian?"

"Come in." Will stepped to one side and Stephen didn't hesitate to make his way into Vivian's apartment.

"Is she alright?" Stephen blurted out, but Will was already pushing him towards the living room.

Confused, Stephen was shocked to see Vivian lying across her couch. One arm was draped across her stomach, the other dangling onto the floor. He stared at the brace around her neck – Stu hadn't been lying – and then the cuts on her face. Her eyes were shut but he could see her chest rising and falling with each shallow breath she took.

"What happened?" He wasn't even sure he was speaking. Unable to tear his gaze from her, he just stared.

"Some drunk idiot almost drove into her, she swerved out of the way." Will's version of the story was short and sweet. "It was early this morning then she's been in hospital for most of the day."

Early that morning. The memories came flooding back like a swift punch in the gut. She'd driven him to the hotel.

Damn it, he couldn't help but feel responsible.

Will wandered off into the kitchen and picked up his coat from the side, "She's on pain killers so she's a bit out of it."

"Ah wanted to see her before ah left."

"Well now you're here I can go, but she wanted to see you too. We even hung around the arena trying to convince a security guy to pass a message to you. Stupid idea. Her phone was damaged in the accident, so if you could leave her your number it'd save her a lot of moping about."

"Actually ah—"

"Thanks man." Will crossed the room quickly, patting him on the shoulder, "Need to feed my cat and I haven't been home since this morning."

"But I cant-"

"She really likes you, and since you're here I guess you like her too. Don't let her push you away, she tends to do that." The words were rushed as Will fled the apartment, door slamming shut behind him.

Shocked more than anything, Stephen felt so out of place in Vivian's apartment, a huge contrast from just twenty-four hours ago. What would happen if he tried to wake her? Would she even wake up? She looked pretty out of it. He stepped forward, wanting to get a better look at her then realised she was wearing his sweatshirt. A smile slipped to his lips and he suddenly wanted her in his arms again.

Crouching down next to the couch, Stephen reached forward and brushed her hair away from her face. He was drawn to the cuts of her face, wanting more than anything to make her feel better. Her lips were parted, lightly blowing out warm air onto his hand as it passed.

"Vivian?" His voice was soft, not wanting to scar her if she did wake up. She sure as hell wouldn't be expecting to see him and he was still a bit pissed at Will for leaving. Would Vivian be fine on her own?

A mumble came from her and her arm reached up, almost hitting his face. "Fuck off, Will."

Stephen raised an eyebrow, stilling his movements. His hand was still dangerously close to her face so he lifted it to rest it against the back of the couch.

"Vivian." His tone was stern this time, wanting her to wake up. He couldn't just stay there and watch her sleep. "It's Stephen."

Once again she grumbled, this time rolling over. He heard her gasp before her eyes shot open, hand reaching up to grasp at her neck. She knew he'd seen him when she jumped back slightly, eyes wide with shock more than anything.

"What are you doing here?" Her words were only a little bit more than a whisper.

"Stu said yeh turned up at the arena." Stephen knelt down, leaning back to give her some space as she shuffled backwards to sit up. "Ah was concerned when ah didn't hear from yeh."

Concerned and pissed off.

"Where's Will?" Her hand trailed into her loose hair, a few strands falling back onto her face.

"He left a few minutes ago, said he had to feed to his cat."

Vivian shook her head, confusion lining her eyes when she uttered, "Cat? He doesn't have a cat."

Stephen shook his head in disbelief. He'd been duped. The cut on her arm stole his attention again, making him say his next words with concern. "How yeh feeling? Do yeh need anything?"

"You didn't come here to look after me, Stephen."

"Ah wanted to know why yeh didn't call."

"Well-"

"Will told me," Stephen brushed his hand over his chin, rubbing the facial hair there, "Ah can't help but feel responsible."

"You weren't the one than ran me off the road."

"If yeh hadn't taken me back to the hotel-"

"Stephen please don't blame yourself, because I don't. It wasn't your fault and it wasn't mine." Stephen smiled when Vivian leaned forward carefully, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. He'd missed her touch. "I don't think we'll ever have a normal date."

"Ah'll make sure of it, lass, but it might take a bit of planning."

Vivian nodded, lips curving into an inviting smile when she pulled her hand back. "Come to think of it, I'll take any time I get with you, normal or not."

"Ah wish ah could spend more time wit' yeh but ah'm leaving in a few hours."

"I understand." Did she? Sometimes even he couldn't comprehend the amount of time he spent on the road and travelling. How could he expect someone else to?

Stephen slipped his hands to the two halves of his sweatshirt, pulling them closer around her lightly. "Yeh can keep this."

Waiting for a thank you, Stephen was surprised when she offered him a kiss. Gentle at first, she teased his lips with her own. He didn't want to hurt her though, so he held his hands still on the sweatshirt, letting her take control. Her hands grasped at his shoulders, slowly slipping under his jacket. They squeezed and stroked whilst she slowly kissed him. It was almost torturous.

Just as he was about to deepen the kiss, Vivian pulled back, a painful expression on her face. "I think the painkillers are wearing off."

"Stay there." Stephen patted her thigh then rubbed the same spot gently, offering a small smile. "Where are they?"

"The kitchen, next to the sink."

Nodding, Stephen stood up. He couldn't help notice how vulnerable Vivian looked and now his mind was at odds. He didn't want to leave her on her own.

* * *

**A/N - Thank you ThatGirl54, XmarX, prettybaby69, SoulSoother59, Blackhat, canadice, housesbabe1, shakeitsalome, wolviegurl, VolcomStoneBabe and xthefirestillburns for all the wonderful reviews. Lou x**


	18. Déjà vu

_**Déjà vu**_

It was an odd feeling – one she had rarely encountered in her life – but watching Stephen rummage through her kitchen cupboards sent her nerves scattering out of control. He was extremely out of place against the plaid curtains and - what had once seemed cute – pictures of mallard ducks hanging on the one otherwise bare wall. The oddity was refreshing.

Glancing at the time on the DVD player, Vivian wondered how long Stephen would stay around for. She knew it wouldn't be long, it never was. He'd told her he had a few hours but the last thing she wanted was to burden him with her injuries. She'd be less than exciting company.

"How was the show?" Vivian asked, wanting to break the silence that had settled in the small apartment. Usually she didn't mind the quiet, but when Stephen was there she wanted to hear his voice.

"Interesting." Stephen mumbled as he pulled open another cupboard, eventually finding a tall clear glass. He moved over to the faucet then said, "Yeh can watch on Friday."

"I'm looking forward to it." A lazy smile crept to Vivian's face, "Any opportunity to see you without clothes on, I'll take."

Sure she had entered a drug induced day dream - maybe even a fantasy – Vivian almost jumped when Stephen appeared in front of her. His knowing smirk left her red faced and a little bit flushed.

"Here yeh go." Stephen held out a glass of water for her take, acting like she hadn't opened her mouth. She took it, along with the tablets but continued to just watch him.

The couch shifted as Stephen settled down next to her. His arm draped over the back of the sofa - he seemed to be the epitome of relaxed.

"Yeh going to take those?"

"Oh." Vivian glanced down at the tablets and nodded. "I wasn't expecting to see you again you know."

With a deep breath, Vivian shuffled forward and swallowed the tablets with a big gulp of water. As she set the glass down, she felt Stephens fingers dancing across her shoulder. For once it didn't make her jump, but it did make her skin tingle, even through the thick cotton of the sweatshirt. It was a glorious feeling compared to what she'd been through.

Closing the small gap between them, Vivian carefully shuffled back onto the couch and into Stephens side. His arms came around her small frame, engulfing her in a tight hug. It was everything she wanted at that moment. Warmth, security, safety.

"As much as I want to stay here, I want to be in my bed when this medication takes effect." Vivian said, fingers lightly stroking Stephens hand.

"Let's get yeh into bed then." Stephens lips smacked against her cheek in a quick kiss and before she knew it, she was lifted into the air, legs slung over his arms as she held onto him.

"I can still walk, you know." Vivian let a soft laugh bubble through her lips, allowing Stephen to carry her through the apartment.

"This is more fun." Stephen backed into the dark bedroom whilst pressing a soft and not nearly long enough kiss to her lips.

Vivian sighed as Stephen set her down, but she didn't let go of him. She didn't want to. Then, as her eyes adjusted to the dark light, she remembered what a state the room was in. Bed unmade from the night before, underwear and the slip Stephen had taken a liking to were strewn across the floor.

"It's a mess in here, I haven't been in since we left this morning." Vivian mumbled as she reluctantly pulled her arms from around Stephens neck. She flicked on the bedside lamp, letting her see just how bad she'd left things. "I should tidy up."

"Oh no yeh don'" Stephen had his hands on her shoulders before she could bend down to pick up a pair of shoes left by the bed. "Ah'll do that, yeh get changed."

"You're not my maid." Vivian only smiled as Stephen turned her around.

"Ah'm no' yeh doctor either, but ah got yeh those tablets."

Maybe he was right. A silly grin slipped to her lips as Stephen took off her sweatshirt. "Can you take my brace off? I would try and reach, but it hurts."

"Of course, lass." Stephens words were spoken close to Vivian's ear. She didn't realise how close he was, but now she could feel the heat of his body seeping into her back. The urge to lean back and press her body against his was strong but the rip of the velcro tore into her thoughts and she let out a satisfied sigh. "Don' keep this on all of the time."

"Why not?" Vivian asked with a frown, turning around so Stephen could see her curiosity.

"A little bit o' movement will help yeh heal."

Vivian smoothed her hands up Stephen's chest, eventually clasping behind his neck. "I thought you weren't a doctor?"

"Ah've had a few neck injuries in me time." Vivian smiled, half listening to his words and half mesmerized by his eyes. Gently she tugged him down to her, thoroughly pleased when she could reach his lips.

Firmly in control, Vivian pushed her lips against Stephens, testing and teasing. He was gentle with her and wanting more, she pushed herself against him. Thoughts and memories from Dublin flooded her mind and her body thrummed in pleasure. For a flicker of a moment it surpassed and supressed the pain, sending a shiver of pleasure down her spine as Stephen traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. His hands were soft and gentle - like he wasn't a solid man of muscle – as they cupped her face. The thick pads of his fingers were warm, caressing her skin as they moved.

A tingling of pain started to move down Vivian's neck, mentally cursing it as she had to push Stephen away. "If it wasn't for the pain, I'd be throwing you on the bed."

Stephen let out a hearty laugh before he said, "Ah'd like to see yeh try."

"Don't tempt me." Vivian said then let out a soft sigh. "Can you help me take my top off?"

Vivian didn't wait for a response. She only wished that the circumstances were different as she tugged up the bottom of her shirt then slowly lifted her arms up.

Had Stephen even heard her? He was staring like he hadn't, but then his gaze dropped to the sliver of skin that was now showing.

It took a moment, but Stephen eventually cleared his throat then muttered, "Sure."

With all the time in the world, he reached for her, hands sliding up her sides before he took hold of the shirt. She knew he was taking extra precaution not to hurt her and that made her smile. It must have been a dreamy smile. Stephen was almost frowning in confusion before his face disappeared and the shirt coming over her face cast her into darkness.

Vivian hissed as her head tilted forward. The pain wasn't as bad as she thought it would be; a clear sign that the drugs were taking effect. The shirt was still in Stephens grip when she could finally see him again and feeling her eyes getting heavy, Vivian moved to sit down on the edge of the bed. Not caring that she was only in her bra and jeans – Stephen had seen plenty more of her before – she leaned back until she was flat on the soft mattress.

The comfort had her closing her eyes, still aware that Stephen was moving around the room. Before she was completely knocked out, she slowly crawled towards the top of the bed, pressing her head into the cool pillows once she reached them.

"Yeh need to take yeh jeans off." Stephen said and she felt him lean on the bed by the way it dipped down. Unable to sit up – and not wanting to – Vivian nodded her head and hummed.

All of her effort and energy went into rolling over onto her back, opening her eyes just a crack so she could see Stephen. The smirk on his face was just what she wanted to see so she smiled back and asked, "Take them off, please?"

It was a poor excuse so she could feel his hands on her again.

The bed dipped even further as Stephen moved across to her. Much to her delight, he straddled her, leaning down to press a quick kiss to her lips. He seemed deep in thought and her suspicions were confirmed as he uttered, "Ah'm glad yeh trust me."

Stephen snapped open the button on her jeans as soon as he had spoken those words, followed by the zipper being pulled down.

"Lift yeh hips up." Stephen slipped his arm under her waist to lift her upwards. He leant over and pressed a soft kiss just below her belly button. Sparks scattered across her skin and Vivian felt herself flush with heat. Revelling in the pleasure, Vivian slipped her eyes shut as Stephen pull her jeans off, delighted as his hands skimmed down her legs. Once he reached her feet he was off the bed. Vivian rolled over and wrapped her arms around the pillow, unable to keep her eyes open any longer.

Just as she was slipping peacefully into sleep she felt him close, the scent of his aftershave floating around her. Then his lips hit her cheek, stilling for a moment, the familiar rasp of his facial hair against her skin made her moan into the pillow.

Stephens words sounded almost like a whisper as he said, "Goodnight, lass. Ah'll see yeh soon."

"Mmm…I love…" Vivian's words trailed off as sleep took over.

* * *

The words seemed to resonate in his mind.

Love?

Love what? Her bed? Sleep? _Him?_

Stephen stared and continued to stare, his mind running a million miles a minute.

Scrubbing his hand over his face, he took a deep breath then turned to scan the room. He spotted a fancy looking blanket draped over the armchair in the corner of the room. Once he had it, he draped it over her, unable to stop himself from stoking her hair out of her face.

Bruises that marred her face and shoulders were getting darker, but even with those she still looked beautiful. She was perfect. But he'd known that from the first moment he'd laid eyes on her in Dublin, soaked to the skin and inadvertently drawing his attention to her stunning figure.

No longer would he throw around the love word so carelessly. Just like everyone else, he learned that the hard way. First he would trust and care. And he did care. If he didn't, he wouldn't be here, putting her bed if he didn't. The trust she felt with him instilled him with pride. He felt as though they'd turned a corner and he was going to make sure things between them would only get better.

Unable to resist, he leant in and kissed her cheek again.

Thanks to Stu, he had a plan to see her again, away from the shows, the city and the hustle and bustle that would no doubt distract them some way or another.

Before he let the room, he cast her one more glance then turned the light off. However, he still had a few things to do before he left. Once out of her bedroom, he moved along the corridor and the door to his right caught his attention. He assumed it was a bathroom, but when he pushed it open, he found a small office. Just what he was looking for. Stepping into the dark room, he searched the wall for a light switch.

With the room now bathed in light, he was greeted by an incredibly tidy and rather formal looking office space. A large desk was the main feature in the room, flanked by two bookcases either side filled with various law books. He took another few steps in, smiling when he saw the notepad of paper on the desk.

He ripped the top sheet of paper off, grabbed a pen and started furiously writing away. With his invitation to a getaway declared on paper, he added both his home and phone numbers, just in case.

The ball was now in her court and all Stephen could do was wait and hope she'd say yes.

* * *

**A/N – Thank you ghunter182003, ThatGirl54, canadice, SoulSoother59, housesbabe1, XmarX and VolcomStoneBabe for the lovely reviews! Only a few chapters of this story left now, hope you continue to read :D Lou x**


	19. Missing

_**Missing**_

Stephen knew that he should be relaxing, taking in the astonishing views whilst he had the chance, but his mind continued to wander. He cast his gaze towards the outstretching dirt road that led up to the secluded lake house.

Had she gotten lost along her way? Once she'd accepted his invitation, he had tried numerous times to persuade her to let him pick her up – each time she declined. The thought of her lost in the surrounding forests and woodlands didn't sit right with him, especially since he wasn't even sure if she was up to driving even though the lake house was only forty minutes from the airport.

They'd spoken at least every other day. It was mostly general chit chat over the phone, but none the less, Stephen made the most of every minute.

Rounding the kitchen, Stephen stopped by the fridge and pulled out a can of Guinness. He had quickly taken to the relaxing atmosphere that surrounded the old house. The furnishings were worn and well used but everything oozed character. It was a stark but welcoming contrast to his home back in Tampa.

Stepping out onto the porch, the sweltering Florida heat hit him. Out of the air-conditioned house he knew he wouldn't last long even on the shaded porch. Whilst adjusting his baseball cap he moved towards the wooden bench that looked into what seemed a never ending mass of trees.

Just as he brought the can up to his lips, he heard the faint but distinct sound of tyres kicking up gravel and dirt. Setting his drink down on the arm of the bench, he moved forward, a smile slipping to his lips as the car - a 4x4 - finally came into view. He was happy, maybe even giddy. God, he'd missed her.

Approaching the car at a quick pace, Stephen grinned when the door opened and she jumped out.

"Yeh made it." As soon as he was next to her he engulfed her in a hug, pulling her tight against him.

"It's so hot." She mumbled as he pulled away, but the smile on her face was just as big as his. She bit her lip, looking to be deep in thought before she said, "Hello"

"Hello to yeh too." Stephen slipped his finger under her chin, tilting her head up to kiss her softly on the lips. It was brief, just a taste of what he wanted to continue for the next two days. "Look at yeh, yeh healing nicely."

Stephen pressed a kiss to her forehead and the scar there.

"I told you I was getting better, but you wouldn't believe me." Vivian said before taking Stephens hand to pull him to the trunk of the car.

Whilst he walked behind her he noted what she was wearing. Denim shorts, red camisole and brown woven sandals. He liked that she wasn't fussy. Vivian had the trunk open, reaching for her bags before Stephen could stop her.

"Give 'em here, lass." Stephen half expected her to protest then demand she carry them herself, more to prove a point that she was feeling much better. To his surprise, she passed one heavy bag to him with a smile.

"I could have used you at the airport."

"Well-"

"And I know you offered to pick me up, but you do enough travelling as it is."

"Yeh here now, that's all ah care about." With a quick kiss to her lips again, he closed the trunk of the car and started making his way back to the house, needing to be out of the heat. "Hope yeh brought some sun protection." Stephen uttered as he was already close to the porch.

"I'm on the pill."

Stephen stopped in his tracks before he turned around.

"Yeh what?"

"We don't have to use..." Her words trailed off and she gestured with her hands, "but if you want to that's fine."

Stephen didn't hesitate to let the smirk creep to his lips. Suddenly amused and aroused. Vivian was still stood a couple of feet away from him so he closed the gap. His hands delved into her hair and his lips locks onto hers. It was different. Heated and hungry, like he couldn't get enough of her. He trailed kisses up to her ear, his tone low as he heard her take a deep breath, "Sun protection, lass."

"Oh!" Vivian's cheeks flamed crimson red, and it wasn't from the Florida heat.

"That's what yeh've been thinking about, huh?" Stephen took Vivian's hand into his and started moving again, afraid that she'd be glued to the spot. "How about a drink first though?"

"I need one." Vivian spoke quietly, probably assuming he couldn't hear her, "I take it this is yours"

Stephen glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Vivian taking hold of the beer he'd left on the porch. Before he had the chance to answer she had taken a few gulps. "Doesn't taste any better out of a can."

"Ah didn't just stock the fridge with Guinness, though ah can't say ah wasn't tempted." Stephen dropped Vivian's bag by the door, once again turning to face her. He took the drink from her with all intentions of getting her something she actually liked, then giving her a tour of the place.

"It's so peaceful here, I'm so used to the constant sound of cars and the city." Vivian tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "It's been a while since I've had a vacation."

"Then yeh best let yeh hair down," Stephen took a big gulp of his drink then nodded towards the kitchen, "What do yeh want to drink"?

"Water please."

"That all?" Stephen almost reached the fridge when he once again felt Vivian close behind him.

"It's hot." Vivian slipped her hand under Stephens shirt, lightly dragging her nails across his skin. His back tensed, hand gripping tightly onto the handle of the fridge. Before he dropped it, he set his drink down.

Things were heated between them, tense even. Stephen recalled the messages and phone calls - some more explicit than others – and smiled to himself. Her hand slid around his torso, fingers lightly dragging across his abs before she hugged him from behind.

"What do you usually do when you come here?" Vivian mumbled into his shoulder then nuzzled her nose against him, followed by soft, short kisses.

Stephen grinned at the question. He'd usually be here with Stu and Drew, drinking and eating the day away. He knew Stu had bought the house so he could go fishing in peace, but that didn't stop his best friends from tagging along.

"Relax and recover." Stephen turned around, keeping Vivian close to him. Her hands slipped from his abs to his back, continuing to wander and explore. "This is Stu's space but he lets us use it now and again, as long as we keep the fridge stocked up."

"I see." Vivian smiled, eyes soft but still hanging off every word he said.

"Ah'm not partial to fishing, so it's reading a good book and lounging on the porch for me." Stephen slipped his hands to her shoulders, gently massaging. "There are some nice trails through the forest too."

Stephen pusher her back a few steps and turned to open the fridge so he could pull out a bottle of chilled water.

"You can thank Stu from me." Vivian slipped her arms free and took the bottle of water. Stephen knew he had to thank Stu too.

"Ah will do, now yeh want to see the lake before dinner?" Stephen was already pulling her towards the sliding doors that led onto the back porch.

Nodding her head almost vigorously, Vivian asked, "What's for dinner?"

Stephen let the question settle for a moment. A few simple words that spoke so much, it was like they'd known each other years. Nothing between them was strained or tense. It was effortless.

"One of yeh favourite meals." Stephen once again felt the rush of heat as he pulled open the door. "Something Italian."

"Really? I love Italian!"

Stephen grinned as her eyes lit up. He knew she did. She'd told him numerous times, usually during their late night phone calls when she was busy working on cases and craving pizza or pasta. Though she had only just gone back full time, she continued to work hard from home. Something else he admired about her.

Then the love word reverberated in his head. He hadn't brought it up, not knowing if it was even worth it. Would she even remember? The image was still clear in his mind, the way she'd curled up on her bed, seemingly oblivious to everything around her. Everything in his gut had told him to stay with her that night, feeling as though she needed someone to lean on. Her understanding of his crazy work schedule was bliss.

"What else do yeh love?" Stephen was sure time would stand still after he asked, but Vivian merely laughed and slid her hand up his arm.

They both stepped down off the porch and onto the grass that surrounded the lake. A slate path weaved its way towards the edge of the lake, stopping by the decking that would usually dock a small fishing boat.

"Let's see..." Vivian hummed and Stephen looked down to her. Her hand tightened around his as she stared out into the expanse of shimmering water. "My family-"

"Easy answer."

"Please, have you never seen Jerry Springer? Plenty of families don't love each other!" Vivian laughed again and Stephen knew he wouldn't be able to wipe the smile off his face for a long time.

"What else?" Stephen pressed, slowing down as they neared the edge of the lake.

"My friends." Vivian cast him a wary look, one eyebrow raised as if he was going to protest her answer again. Instead he smirked and gestured for her to continue. She didn't.

"What's wrong?" Stephen wondered if he'd pushed too far.

"Nothing, I just..." She let go of his hand, now more interested in the bottle of water she carried, "by now I hoped to have a lot more things or people I love. But I'm grateful for what I have, like my job and my health. I know I could have lost my life in that crash."

Vivian's words ended with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Now he felt like an ass.

"One day, yeh'll have everything yeh ever wanted before yeh even realise it." Stephen took her face in his hands, leaning down so he could kiss her, make her troubles disappear.

"You think?" Vivian whispered before his lips touched hers. They were a fraction away as he nodded, pulling her forward so her lips crashed into his. He held her close and after hearing the bottle of water drop to the floor, he felt her hands slide up his arms to his neck. Without hesitating he lifted her up, pulling at her leg with one hand so they would wrap around his hips. She pulled away from the kiss quickly though, pressing her forehead to his, breath choppy as she said, "There's something missing in my life Stephen."

Lost in her words, Stephen just stared back. She'd left him speechless. But he had to ask, there was no way he couldn't.

"What's missing?" Stephens voice was rough as he asked and it took everything in him not to kiss her again.

Feeling his heart beating rapidly in his chest, he feared it may explode. He couldn't take it. It was dawning on him more and more how much Vivian meant to him, how she affected him when they were together. Slowly her eyes flickered shut for a brief moment before she stared back at him.

"I think it's you."

* * *

**A/N – Thank you boston246, locolito0me, ghunter182003, Anon, housesbabe1, ThatGirl54 and shakeitsalome for the awesome reviews :D! Lou x**


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